The businessman suspected to be at the centre of an alleged documents-for-cash racket had been “blacklisted” by Identity Malta since 2015, the Times of Malta has learnt.

When the family's two-year-old needed stitches, his mother could not take him to hospital for fear they would be deported.

Identity Malta sources said Mustafa Abusaada, of Palestinian origin, had first been flagged for questionable behaviour related to applications about three years ago. Applications the entity suspected could have been linked to illicit activity were being reviewed, the sources added.

“This guy would bring people to apply for particular documents on their behalf and insist they don’t speak English, so he would do all the talking. He would oversee their entire application process, managing it step by step,” they said.

Mr Abusaada was reported to the police shortly after he was involved in an altercation with staff over an application.

The Sunday Times of Malta reported the traumatic experience of a Tunisian family who claim to have paid Mr Abusaada nearly €10,000 to obtain documents entitling them to live and work in Malta.

He would oversee their application process

Family members told an Immigration Appeals Tribunal last week Mr Abusaada had allegedly claimed to be in contact with certain people, like Police Inspector Darren Buhagiar, in charge of the immigration unit, and Neville Gafà, an official at the Office of the Prime Minister.

READ: €10,000: the price for staying in Malta

Mr Gafà, who had himself faced similar allegations in 2016, has denied any involvement.

The Tunisian family’s evidence and audio recordings of conversations reportedly with Mr Abusaada are being investigated by the police. A number of officials are known to have been interrogated and a magistrate has been roped in to review the audio recordings.

Contacted yesterday, Mr Abusaada rejected all the allegations made against him, describing them as a “fabricated fantasy”.

“When the truth comes out, you will have to clean up my name, which you have tarnished with this amateurish and immature journalism,” he said.

When told about the Identity Malta blacklisting, Mr Abusaada first laughed it off and then said it could not be the case because he had received signed documents from the entity only last month.

When asked what did the documents consist of and on whose behalf had he filed applications, Mr Abusaada replied: “None of your business”.

Sources at both the Visa Unit and Identity Malta said Mr Abusaada was “well known”, referring to him as “the guy in the brown suit”, adding he would show up at their offices accompanying people he claimed to be representing as a “consultant”.

The sources said the preferred option of “visa shoppers” was applying for permits allowing them to study on the island.

“The easiest way to get a foothold in Schengen is by applying as a student. You don’t need to marry anyone and you don’t need to be a refugee. It’s perfect,” the sources noted.