A Libyan aid worker – who is a representative of the committee for the injured in Tripoli – said that politics should not enter into the equation when it comes to treating injured Libyan nationals, be they supporters of the Tripoli government or the Tobruk-based one.

Speaking to this newsroom, the young aid worker, who preferred not to be named out of fear that his mission to help injured Libyans would be hindered, claimed that he was officially appointed to represent the committee and to assist injured Libyans as an aid worker in Malta by the health minister belonging to the Tripoli government.

The Tripoli government is self-proclaimed, while the Tobruk-based government is internationally recognised.

“My sole interest as an aid worker is to ensure that all Libyans who are injured and brought to Malta for treatment are in fact treated, even if the injured support the side of Tobruk,” he said.

He said that the problem withstanding is that a number of injured Libyan nationals who flew to Malta to seek treatment are being discharged by certain hospitals before they end their treatment since the funds – which were initially being channelled to a Bank of Valletta account by the Central Bank of Libya – were halted. Before the issue of the blocked funds cropped up, the people authorised to channel the funds once they were deposited into the BOV account were the Attard embassy charge d’affaires Hussin Musrati and a financial controller by the name of Aimen Aboshewa.

This issue of the account closure came about after the disagreement between the two sides in Libya escalated, which was reflected in Malta too, with the Attard embassy charge d’affaires claiming that he represents Libya’s official government and the Tobruk charge d’affaires stating that his government is officially in control. Malta recognises the Tobruk-based government, the one recognised by the EU.

“Hospitals in Malta – both state and private – were discharging patients before they even underwent rehabilitation; we are speaking of individuals who were hit by gun fire and splinters from mortar shells.

“The injuries are serious ones,” he lamented. It is understood that there are outstanding bills to be paid to Mater Dei and Capua Hospital in relation to the treatment of injured Libyans.

“Mater Dei seemed to have stopped treating injured Libyans due to the influx it was facing as a result of the escalating situation in Libya,” he said.

He said that the last payment made to the BOV account was made last November and now the funds which financed the treatment of the injured Libyans and the education of certain Libyan students have been stopped.

He claimed that the funds – initially channelled to the Attard embassy – are now in the hands of the Tobruk charge d’affaires. “The fact that the funds have been blocked – we assume that this was a decision taken by the Maltese government – is illegal to say the least. This is a breach of international law,” he said.

According to the aid worker, it is not only injured Libyans who are “suffering” as a result of the blocked funds, as a number of Libyan students who are in Malta to further their studies are also being denied their rights to an education.

“Politics should be put aside when humans are being deprived of their only source of income and their essential needs,” he argued.

The aid worker thanked Malta’s ambassador to Libya – Mannie Galea – for his assistance throughout.

Mounting pressure from the two rival governments operating in Libya had led the Maltese government to take a “painful” decision to recall Maltese diplomats from Tripoli for their own safety. This means that there are no diplomats operating at the Maltese embassy in Libya.

“While we thank all the Maltese people for their kindness and hospitality, one cannot ignore the fact that the Maltese government is only listening to the Tobruk-based government; it should start listening to us as well,” he lamented.

The ‘blocked’ funds issue

In an interview with this newsroom, the Attard based Tripoli Charge d'Affaires had claimed that the Tobruk representatives are operating illegally and have illegally taken over its BOV bank account. The Tripoli Foreign Affairs Minister had informed him that the Central Bank of Libya was to stop all bank transfers to the BOV account.

Informed sources have said that the account is now being handled by the Tobruk-based charge d’affaires in Malta.

Speaking to this newsroom, Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella had reiterated that Malta will not be pushed into taking sides in internal Libyan differences, which have seen two 'embassies' being set up in Malta.

He had called on the internationally recognised Tobruk-based government and the Tripoli-based faction to engage in discussions leading to a Libyan transitional government.