Malta was warned over a threat on the life of its consul in Benghazi by US intelligence agents, who reported a credible assassination attempt in the offing. The message was relayed to the Government last Saturday afternoon. By the evening the diplomat, Joe Pirotta, was flown out of Benghazi on a Libyan government jet.

“The message was basically that there was an immediate plot on Dr Pirotta’s life,” a source said.

The Maltese consulates in Libya have been facing continued criticism over delays in the issue of visas, and even faced allegations that Libyans had to pay bribes to get their papers processed expeditiously. However, diplomatic sources said the threat had nothing to do with this and was instead linked to the unrest that gripped Libya’s second city.

mmicallef@timesofmalta.com

Full story in The Sunday Times of Malta and the Premium edition of timesofmalta.com on http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131020/local/US-agents-raised-alert-on-threat-to-consul.491052#.UmOcORCBZOQ

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