Update 2 | Abducted Maltese in Libya thought to be alive

The government is “working relentlessly to see Martin Galea back home safe and sound”, a government source told MaltaToday.

The government remains tight-lipped over the abduction of retired AFM captain Martin Galea, abducted by Libyan rebel militias last week and the only information available is that the Maltese government is in continuous contact with Libya to ensure his safe return.

In a statement issued on Saturday afternoon, the government said contacts in Libya to bring back Galea “have intensified”.

“The government received information from Libya that the person is alive. This information however could not be independently verified,” the government said.

The government reassured that contacts on a political and diplomatic level and all other possible levels will continue to intensify.

“The government appeals for prudence in this delicate moment,” it added.

In parliament, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat gave no assurances that Galea was alive but said he was alive when his captors were last contacted by the country’s diplomatic services in Libya.

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil took to Twitter on Saturday to urge Joseph Muscat to keep the country informed of any updates.

Any updates on Maltese abducted in #Libya? @JosephMuscat_JM should keep the country informed #malta

— Simon Busuttil (@SimonBusuttil) July 26, 2014

News of Galea’s abduction was reported by the Times of Malta hours before the Maltese parliament discussed an Opposition motion on the worsening Libya crisis.

Galea was reported missing to the authorities on Sunday, three days after his abduction. The alarm was raised by his wife after she failed to receive the daily SMS from him, as was his practice.

It is unclear whether the Office of the Prime Minister was aware of the case before news broke of the abduction but the Foreign Affairs Ministry yesterday said it was aware of the case and had been working on it.

Galea, 42, is a health and safety environment professional, who started in the Armed Forces of Malta as a regimental HSE. He left the military in 2007, working with oil and gas firms in the North Sea and then in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Georgia.
MaltaToday has been told that a private military firm based in Malta is involved in the search of the man.

Galea was said to have been abducted after his driver did not turn up to collect him. The car he was travelling in was stopped at a roadblock by militia rebels.

The nature of negotiations taking place between the Maltese diplomats and the rebels remains unknown. The Prime Minister said he could be criticised for not publicising the abduction but the priority was Galea’s safety and ensuring that no information that could be used by his abductors is leaked.

Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella said publicising news of abduction only fuels militias for more attention and media prominence.

“The Maltese government will only reveal the facts surrounding the abduction only once Galea is freed and his safety guaranteed,” Vella told RTK in a radio interview.

Vella did not exclude personally travelling to Libya if the situation so required.

The Maltese government has meanwhile set up an inter-ministerial crisis coordination centre which has been meeting up regularly for the past two weeks.

Malta is undertaking all necessary preparations in the eventuality of mass evacuations from Libya. Sources in Libya said the situation “could get out of hand” after the end of Ramadan, tomorrow.

The Maltese government is in the process of creating receptions centres, including a centre at Ta Kandja, which could possibly host evacuees on a temporary basis.

If the situation in Libya does not improve, foreign companies based in the oil-rich North African nation, might decide to evacuate hundreds of workers to Malta.

However, since this could happen in the midst of summer, when hotels’ occupancy rate is at its highest, the crisis committee is setting up alternative reception centres in the eventuality of a mass evacuation.