Medical visas investigation: Police to take action against Libyan middleman

Action is to be taken against Khaled Ben Nasan in relation to alleged false reports filed, including allegations of having received text messages that threatened the safety of his family

Neville Gafa was at the centre of allegations raised by Khaled Ben Nasan
Neville Gafa was at the centre of allegations raised by Khaled Ben Nasan

A police investigation originally launched into allegations of corruption in the issuance of medical visas will see the Libyan middleman, Khaled Ben Nasan, facing legal proceedings.

MaltaToday is reliably informed that the action against Ben Nasan will be taken in relation to the alleged false reports filed, including allegations of having received text messages that threatened the safety of his family.

The court summons has been released and the case will be heard tomorrow Monday.

Magistrate Doreen Clarke will preside the case.

It was back in August of last year, that news emerged that the police was seeking the Attorney General’s advice to see whether to arraign the Libyan national. The news had sparked the condemnation of the Nationalist Party, which dubbed “farcical” an investigation that cleared a health ministry official from masterminding an alleged racket involving medical visas to Libyan patients.

The PN, including its leader Simon Busuttil, had called on the authorities to provide protection to the “whistleblower”. Busuttil had said that, should anything happen to the man or his family, he would hold the authorities personally responsible.

MaltaToday is informed that Ben Nasan was not a whistleblower and that he had never asked to be. Persons who claim to be a whistleblower but are later found to have provided false testimony could face legal proceedings.

The police had failed to find any evidence that proved criminal behavior by ministry employee Neville Gafa. Gafa was accused by Ben Nasan of netting up to €150,000 a month from issuing medical visas to Libyans. Gafa had always maintained his innocence and suspended himself from his duties pending police investigations.

Earlier this year, MaltaToday reported that the police discovered that text messages which Ben Nasan received had been fabricated by the man himself, allegedly using one of seven mobile phones he owns.

The investigation was launched in September 2016, when Ben Nasan filed police reports claiming that his children had been the target of threats.

The Malta Independent on Sunday, which at the time carried the report, had said Ben Nasan told the police he had received an SMS, reading:
“Khaled I gave you a warning and this is your last chance if you send any information or present any files or any recordings about me or [name withheld] or [name withheld] or [name withheld] or anyone from the staff of visa unit you will never see your children again.”

In an earlier police report, Ben Nasan also claimed to have received anonymous phone calls. This time, the speaker would have allegedly spoken in Maltese: “[If] you are going to say something and give documents and video, you can forget your children.”

The police investigations concentrated on the mobile telephony data embedded in the text message and call receipts logged in Ben Nasan’s mobile phone, which were then traced to one of seven phones belonging to the businessman.