A Libyan businessman who last month was charged with being in possession of nine passports in his luggage on his arrival to Malta, was today acquitted by a court.

The accused, Mohamed Ramdan Mostfa Mousa, 33, had insisted that he had been delivering the Libyan passports and corresponding visa applications for entry into Malta.

He said that these documents had been handed to him by an employee of the Mitiga airport from where he departed and insisted that he had never met the people whose passports he was carrying.

During proceedings, his lawyers criticised the present system whereby physical passports were required for the issuance of visas.  They argued that Libyans had no other option but to send their passports and visa applications with other people travelling to Malta. 

On the other hand the prosecution argued that the law banned the transfer of passports, other than by the person in whose name it was issued.

In her ruling Magistrate Gabriella Vella noted that the accused had received these passports in Libya, whereas he was charged with committing such act in Malta. She also pointed out that that the articles of the law cited by the prosecution were only applicable to cases involving Maltese passports. 

In view of this the court declared the Libyan man was not guilty.

Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Shazoo Ghaznavi appeared for the accused, whereas Inspector Frankie Sammut prosecuted.