On Monday, Malta’s Ambassador to Libya, Charles Saliba announced that the Maltese Consulate will start issuing visas in Benghazi, as of Sunday 24 July.
During his meeting with the Chairman of the Steering Council of the Benghazi Municipality, Al-Sager Bujwari, Saliba explained that the granting of visas will be from the visa office located opposite the Al-Fuwaihat Sports Club.
The two sides also discussed means of cooperation in the educational, health, and cultural fields. In addition to coordinating with the Benghazi Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture, and Industry to arrange a meeting for a number of Maltese and Libyan businessmen in the city of Benghazi.
The Maltese Ambassador affirmed his keenness to “achieve an actual start on the issues of common interest that were discussed, and Malta’s keenness to cooperate in various fields.”
Last month, a Maltese court ordered the Bank of Valletta to return around €96 million euros, linked to the heirs of late long-time leader, Muammar Gaddafi back to the Libyan state.
In a legal battle that started a year after Gaddafi’s violent overthrow and death in 2011, a Maltese court on Tuesday agreed that the money should be returned to Libya.
Gadaffi’s son, Mutassim was discovered to be the owner of a Maltese-registered company with BOV accounts.
The money was managed by the former Labour Party treasurer, Joe Sammut, an accountant who had been facing proceedings in court for creating companies with false stock. This was to secure residence permits for Libyan businessmen in Malta.
The three accounts at the Bank of Valletta were held in the name of Capital Resources, a company owned by Gaddafi, but whose name appeared as Muatasimbllah Muammar Abuminyar.
Muatassim, 36, died on 20 October 2011 after being captured at the fall of Sirte.