Government still putting together what happened to Galea

Government communications chief says they cannot confirm abduction claim • Oil worker Martin Galea suffered no physical violence during detainment

Safe in Malta: the government is still trying to piece together the circumstances of Galea's disappearance in Libya
Safe in Malta: the government is still trying to piece together the circumstances of Galea's disappearance in Libya

‘Competent authorities’ are still putting together the circumstances of what happened to Maltese oil worker Martin Galea, who was held by Libyan militias for 12 days and brought back to Malta on Monday evening.

“The competent authorities are still talking to Galea, questioning him and seeing what happened to him. Galea was given different versions of who the group who took him were,” Cutajar told journalists during a media briefing today Wednesday, on the latest situation in Libya.

Cutajar said he couldn’t confirm whether Galea had been abducted or detained, and that debriefings have to yet establish what happened.

The head of government communications, Kurt Farrugia, said the government never said it was an abduction. “We chose our words carefully to protect Galea’s life, especially when we didn’t have the full picture of the situation. We were still evaluating the situation, and the word ‘abduction’ was used by the media. We always made it clear that the government never had direct contact with whoever took him,” Farrugia said.

Galea is now back home with his family after spending Monday night at Mater Dei Hospital. Cutajar said medical examinations showed Galea did not suffer any physical violence but was kept under observation for any infections he may have suffered.