Ministry refutes claims ransom was paid for release of Maltese kidnapped in Libya

The foreign affairs ministry has rebutted “misleading” reports that a ransom had been paid for the release of a kidnapped Maltese national in Libya.

On Sunday, Nationalist news organ il-mument claimed that Geoffrey Farrugia, a 31-year-old technology expert, was kidnapped by a Libyan militia on December 15. 2013. The newspaper claimed that Farrugia was locked up in a cell for three days and was even hit with the butt of a machine gun.

Farrugia claimed that after contacting his wife through a mobile phone that he had managed to hide from his captors, a “substantial” ransom was paid to the militia in exchange for his release. In its report, the PN newspaper said that government representatives were involved in the negotiations, while the Libyan militia received the money through an intermediary in Malta.

Rebutting the claims, the foreign affairs ministry insisted that no ransom was paid, and that this was never a case of kidnapping, but one of a business deal gone wrong.

“The ministry has information in writing supplied by Farrugia himself which states that he had an argument with his Libyan business partner and ended up being arrested in Tripoli. In fact, on December 13, the Maltese consul in Libya was informed of Farrugia’s arrest and met him,” it said.

The ministry also explained that the representatives of the Maltese consul personal met Farrugia and even assisted him in finding a lawyer.

In a statement, the ministry said Farrugia had sent an email to the government in which he said that he had ended up being arrested after a business deal went wrong – and not after being kidnapped.