The police have widened their investigation at Identity Malta to cover the issuing of hundreds of medical visas to Libyan citizens, the Times of Malta is informed.

“The extraordinary number of medical visas issued this year is inexplicable,” police sources said.

“Allegations of abuse have reached the authorities. A number of officials at Identity Malta and at the Office of the Prime Minister are helping the police.”

In the first eight months of this year, Identity Malta, the government agency responsible for issuing identity cards, passports and visas, approved 614 medical visas allowing Libyan citizens to come for treatment in Malta.

This number dwarfs the 252 issued in 2011, when the Libyan conflict was at its peak. During the whole of last year a total of 381 visas were issued. Apart from the medical visas, other permits were issued to numerous relatives allowing them to accompany the Libyan patients to Malta.

Apart from the medical visas, other permits were issued to numerous relatives allowing them to accompany the Libyan patients to Malta

The police have not commented officially on the investigation. However, police sources said that, to prevent the possibility of abuse, Identity Malta has introduced more checks and balances, in particular the scrutiny of medical certificates presented to justify the issue of these visas.

The government confirmed that 2015 has been a record year for the number medical visas issued to Libyan citizens. But it said this was “as a result of the Libyan conflict whereby the availability of health facilities in Libya decreased and Libyan nationals sought such facilities at Maltese private hospitals and even public hospitals”.

Most of the Libyans issued with medical visas were treated at St James Hospital, according to sources. Earlier this year the hospital’s branch in Libya was temporarily closed but it is now fully functional.

The police have been probing Identity Malta following the arraignment of former Labour Party treasurer Joe Sammut, accused of registering false companies to obtain residence permits for Libyans.

Since Labour returned to power in 2013, the number of residence permits to non-EU citizens more than doubled, reaching a record 14,000 last year. Of these, 10,000 were new permits.