Libya war victims offered €350,000 each to drop claims against Neville Gafà, court told

Twelve Libyan war casualties were each offered €350,000 to waive claims implicating former OPM official Neville Gafà in a medical visas racket back in 2014, a court was told on Monday.

Two of them testified via a video conference in ongoing libel proceedings filed by Gafà against the former editor of

David Lindsay.

During his testimony, a 25year old Tripoli-born survivor of the Libyan civil war claimed that a promised prosthetic arm had never materialised “because of Gafà.”

He was one of a group of war casualties who were flown to Malta for free medical treatment following an agreement reached with Maltese authorities.

The witness said Gafà had approached the patients, introducing himself as the representative of the Minister of Health, demanding money for treatment.

“He wanted €3,500,” the witness said. When he said he did not have the money, Gafà had threatened to call the police and throw him out of Malta.

The witness was to be provided with a prosthetic limb, but he had gone back to Libya without one, he said, as he lifted his arm to show an amputated hand.

Asked by the respondent’s lawyer, Peter Fenech, to clarify the amount he was offered to waive his claims, the witness wrote down the figure “€350,000” on a sheet of paper and held it up for the court to see.

Asked by presiding Magistrate Victor George Axiak if he had been present when Gafà allegedly made the offer, the witness said that it had been made to his agents. He added that the offer had been turned down.

A second witness, a 46-year old war victim, testified how he had received a visit from Gafà in hospital, asking for some €2,000 to €3,000 to renew his expired medical visa.

But he did not have the money, and he had received no treatment for his fractured hip, the man explained.

A third witness who was meant to testify on Monday was unable to do so after he tested positive to COVID-19.

Gafà and his lawyers were not present in court on Monday.

The case continues in June.