A nanny who suffered extensive burns when she was horribly tortured by ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s daughter-in-law, was flown to Malta from Misurata late yesterday afternoon on a chartered flight funded by the Maltese government.

Shweyga Mullah, an Ethiopian national, told her story to CNN recently, saying that she worked for Hannibal Gaddafi, whose wife Aline Skaf poured boiling water over her head after she refused to beat their (the Gaddafis’) toddler. Ms Mullah landed in Malta on a small Medavia plane at about 5.30pm, accompanied by director of defence Vanessa Frazier and was immediately taken to Mater Dei Hospital. She had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Tripoli. There were a number of opportunities to try and get her to Malta after the government offered her further medical treatment and managed to get her on a flight that was returning to Malta.

Mrs Frazier, who was on board the same flight, described Ms Mullah as a very reserved, quiet person who has been through a great trauma. Although she speaks no English, she was very grateful and emotional about leaving Libya as this meant a dark chapter in her life was coming to an end.

Although she told a CNN journalist she would like to return to her native country following her recovery, Malta has offered her the opportunity for a new life following recovery and possibly plastic surgery interventions.

On board the chartered flight to Malta was a delegation of Transport Malta and government officials who travelled to Libya so as to help in the rebuilding and reorganisation of ports and airports so that they can re-open for business. Personnel from the airport security, air traffic control, port services, the Civil Protection Department and Malta Air Traffic Services, were among them. CNN journalists found Ms Mullah in Hannibal Gaddafi’s lush home after anti-Gaddafi forces took Tripoli. Gaddafi’s son and his wife had fled to Algeria.

CNN said: “Mullah, who is in her 20s, worked as a nanny for two of the couple’s children. When she couldn’t keep one from crying, and refused to beat the child, she said Aline Gaddafi poured the boiling water on her head.”

Dr Etienne Calleja, who is working for Global Relief Libya, has been instrumental in bringing Ms Mullah to Malta. He said a number of countries were interested in helping her get more treatment but eventually Malta was chosen possibly as her stepping stone.