This afternoon the court gave permission for the Libyan aircraft that was hijacked to leave Malta. This was announced in a government statement this evening. Earlier this afternoon the court accepted the formal request made by the airline yesterday to release the plane. During the Magisterial Inquiry carried out by Magistrate Doreen Clarke, the black box, flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were taken from the plane. The aircraft is expected to go back to Libya either tonight or tomorrow.
Many of the passengers who were on board the Afriqiyah Airways flight 209 did not realise their plane had been hijacked until after it landed in Malta, and thought the diversion was a result of bad weather. Some only learnt about the hijack after the whole ordeal was over, a court heard yesterday. Indeed, this was a 'silent' hijack, and the accused allegedly informed the crew that they were seizing the plane via a handwritten note. In the compilation of evidence the two Libyan hijackers, Moussa Saha Ali Soko and Ali Ahmed Saleh, were present and they denied the charges levelled against them.
The two could be sent to prison for life if they are found guilty of hijacking an aircraft.
They also face other charges including possession of imitation weapons, using violence against a person on board the flight, holding people against their will and making threats of violence.
The two Libyans hijacked an Airbus A320 which left Sabha to Tripoli. They surrendered to the Maltese authorities two hours after the aircraft landed in Malta, releasing all other 109 passengers and six crew. Using what later turned out to be replica pistols and a hand grenade, the two had threatened to blow up the plane.
The passengers and crew were flown back to Libya on Christmas Eve.