In attempting to discredit Maltese workers who work in Libya, the Foreign Affairs Office in Malta continues to provide incorrect information and unfounded denials. As did Ms Maria Muscat, the Communications Coordinator at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, in her reaction to my letter entitled Crocodile Tears for Maltese Workers in Libya (TMIS, 24 August).
In her response published on Sunday 31 August 2014, she claimed that, according to their call logs, “contact between the Crisis Centre and Mr Sammut was registered on 22 July2014.” This is absolutely not true because on that date I was still in Malta, and I was called back to duty and travelled back to Libya from Malta to Misurata on 24 July. I attach to this letter a copy of the Libyan Immigration stamp in my passport showing that I re-entered Libya on that date, and copies of a receipt of payment of €490 for the air fare on a MedAvia flight via agents Charles Stivala Co. Ltd, of 187 Nazzju Ellul Street, Gzira, and PlanIT Travel Services Ltd, at the same address.
But although some days earlier, the Maltese Foreign Affairs Minister was quoted as saying that the circumstances in Libya were “not as dramatic as it seemed”, I found out that the situation was going from bad to worse. In fact, on Saturday, 26 July, the international news media reported that US diplomats had been evacuated to neighbouring Tunisia under a US military escort (our diplomats had been evacuated weeks before). By this time, several countries (but not Malta) had been urging their citizens to leave Libya for security reasons and had prepared and were implementing evacuation plans. On Wednesday, 30 July, the Maltese media reported “Government ‘closer’ to calling evacuation”.
On Thursday, 31 July, when the absolute majority of expatriates at Ras Lanuf oil terminal, where I was stationed, was being evacuated, I did contact the so-called “crisis centre” at the Foreign Affairs Office in Malta. Whilst I was completing my last remaining tasks at the oil terminal, and preparing to board the plane to travel to travel to Tripoli’s Mehtiega Airport, (Tripoli’s international airport having been closed due to the ongoing conflict between militias) I managed to telephone the “crisis centre” and what I had been told the day before was confirmed to me – that a commercial flight was available from Mehtiega airport at a cost €1,200, payable in advance at the offices of Charles Stivala Co. Ltd in Malta. The crisis centre also offered to provide me with the contact numbers of this agency, which I declined as I already had this information.
The other option given to me was a ship that was going to Greece. When I asked if there were any preparations for the evacuation of Maltese citizens from Libya to Malta, I was told that there were none at that stage. At this point, it is true that I informed the “crisis centre” that I did not need any assistance from them since my employers had made alternative arrangements (within their limitations as mentioned in my first letter on this subject) for me to travel to Malta (albeit via the dangerous route of crossing the Libya-Tunisia border the following day onward bound to Frankfurt and final destination Malta). If the “crisis centre” has a recording of this telephone conversation (as all properly organised “crisis centres” should have) I urge them to broadcast it or publish it uncensored/verbatim. For my part, I am willing to submit an affidavit to this effect. We will then let your readers decide who is telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and who is being “highly inaccurate” as claimed by the Communications Coordinator at the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Raymond Sammut
Mellieha