The man at the heart of the medical visas scandal insisted in court today that he never received any payment other than his government salary.

Neville Gafa' sued The Malta Independent after it claimed he had pocketed some €150,000 a month.

"The articles made me look like a soulless person. I was completely shocked," Mr Gafa' testified.

Mr Gafa' explained that his task since August 2014 had been to oversee the applications for visas for medical treatment in Malta. He said a due diligence process was carried out by the Central Visa Unit upon payment of a €66 administration fee.

"I always carried out my work properly and the only money I received came in the form of my government salary" the plaintiff insisted before magistrate Francesco Depasquale.

Mr Gafa' testified that what hurt him most was the claim that the medical visa racket was denying sick children the right to travel from Libya to receive essential treatment in Malta

He said that when the story broke, he was transferred to Gozo in May 2016 and police even searched his former office at the Health Ministry in Valletta.

Referring to handwritten receipts allegedly issued by a Libyan middleman called Khaled Ben Nasan with the note "to Neville" written clearly on each receipt, indicating the personal details of the 'patients' and the payments made, the witness stressed that he had only got to know of these receipts after reading the newspaper article.

He explained that prospective patients were vetted by Maltese and Libyan police to assess their right to be granted a medical visa.

he said he had been harassed by Mr Nasan's persistent calls and he had refused to speak to the Libyan when the latter approached him in a Valletta coffee shop at a time when the libel proceedings had already been instituted.

Inspector Rennie Stivala testified that investigations surrounding the alleged visa scam as well as the threats allegedly made by Mr Gafa' in respect of Mr Nasan, were still ongoing. Consequently the witness was unable to divulge further information on the matter.

Legal procurator Peter Paul Zammit was counsel to Mr Gafa'.

Lawyer Peter Fenech was counsel to Mr Lindsay.