Government does not deny that Sadiq Abdulkarim Abdulrahman, ex deputy PM of Libya, is living under armed guard in Malta
I have received information from sources in Libya that Sadiq Abdulkarim Abdulrahman, Libya’s deputy prime minister while Ali Zeidan was prime minister, is living under armed guard in Malta.
I have been unable to ascertain whether he was in fact the man in the Xemxija flat. The same sources tell me that Ali Zeidan is a frequent visitor, and that Abdulkarim Abdulrahman came to Malta after surviving an assassination attempt in Libya last January when gunmen laid siege to his vehicle.
He is the man who Times of Malta reported was seen dining often at a restaurant in Mellieha, and not Ali Zeidan. That’s why they removed the story. I have discovered which restaurant this was and showed Abdulkarim Abdulrahman’s photograph to another frequent patron, who confirmed that this was the man he saw. He said that he always arrived in a big bustle of security.
The same sources in Libya tell me that Abdulkarim Abdulrahman has a Maltese girlfriend called Joanna (no surname available, sorry) with whom he lives, and that he is a personal friend of Prime Minister Muscat.
Last July, when the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, was in Malta for talks with the government, Joseph Muscat sprang Abdulkarim Abdulrahman, then Libya’s deputy prime minister, on him for a surprise meeting that had not been included in the programme sent out by the Department of Information.
Yesterday morning I rang Kurt Farrugia, government’s chief of communications, to ask him to confirm or deny whether Abdulkarim Abdulrahman, Libya’s ex deputy PM, is living in Malta under guard. He said that he has no information on this matter because he would not in the normal course of events be privy to that kind of information, but he very civilly said that he would check and get back to me.
Incidentally, he also said that he himself has no information on the identity of the individual who until the fuss blew up last Sunday was installed in that flat at Xemxija.
Shortly afterwards, he texted a reply: ‘Good morning again. In reply to your question this morning and as I explained on Sunday, the government will not comment further on matters of national security. Regards, Kurt Farrugia.’
On the basis of the government’s swift and loud denial that the Libyan ex PM Ali Zeidan is residing in Malta, and the statement that the government would not deny it if it were true, we have to conclude that no such denial about Abdulkarim Abdulrahman, his former deputy PM, confirms that he is most definitely living in Malta and not just visiting often.
48 Comments Comment
Leave a Comment
A Super One reporter who can’t rise above his station. This is him, out of his depth as prime minister – take a close look at the body language, and then decide who really is in charge in that particular relationship. This was taken when Libya’s then deputy PM was imposed on Herbert Von Rompuy while he was on a formal visit to Malta.
http://cdn.tvm.com.mt/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/PresidentEC_11072013_18.jpg
How can anyone still believe Muscat knows what he’s doing? His facial expressions in unguarded moments give him away even more than his body language does when he’s lying.
The only thing that Muscat was interested in was (a) status and (b) power that comes with the office of prime minister. Given that power he can make money. Governance and leading the country has nothing to do with it.
People were given a choice get screwed cum good governance or get screwed. They chose the latter.
All can still believe that Muscat knows perfectly well what he is doing – but he does not seem to care.
May be Muscat is considering selling Maltese citizenship to our friend Abdulraham. Then a Maltese citizen will be deputy prime minister of Libya.
That cat is now out of the bag.
Malta’s secret service was part of a plot that could have resulted in a repeat murderous ambush, this time not in Libya, but among the unsuspecting flat residents and churchgoers in Xemxija, Malta
I do not think that it would have been any consolation if a Malta resident had been struck by a Maltese bullet rather than a Libyan one and as long as it was all done in the secret interest of national security.
” … the government will not comment further on matters of national security.” (Kurt Farrugia)
Simply put:
“Ask no questions and you will be told no lies.
Sgd. the transparent Muscat government”
Kurt Farrugia’s response is disingenuous. He wasn’t asked to comment about matters of national security. He was asked to confirm the identity of the person who is/was staying at 2, Ambjent Complex, Xemxija. A simple yes or no would suffice. No additional comment is necessary.
How is publicly confirming the shadow figure’s identity a threat to national security? It seems that it’s the man’s security they are trying to protect, and not Malta’s.
I would love to see this nobody running his own company.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-06-11/news/sex-mad-guinea-pig-to-become-father-to-400-after-breaking-into-female-enclosure-5428707328/
This story reminds me of some men who end up as folk heroes on junk TV.
I surely would not be happy to have either the Libyan ex PM or the Libyan ex deputy PM living close to my residence in these troubled times. I guess it’s quite dangerous. The government is being irresponsible.
Maybe they should move him to Burmarrad, chez Joseph et Michelle.
In any case is Joey not protecting fugitives of a foreign ‘government’, legitimate or not?
Worried about national security, my foot!
Now that the address of the residence harbouring the ‘fugitive’ is known and certainly to Libyan interests as well, what will prevent a few Libyan hit-men, disguised as tourists, from springing a nasty surprise on the few security men guarding the apartment resulting in Maltese casualties?
Is the gamble worth taking?
[Daphne – He’s moved out. And with that many policemen milling around outside, people are always going to work out there’s somebody like that inside.]
Of course it is dangerous, it is very dangerous. Most disturbingly, the danger is increased by additional fire-power kindly provided courtesy of our own government deploying the Malta police security service to provide security to mysterious foreigners rather than the mystified Maltese citizen who is kept in the dark supposedly because it is not in his interest to know why his life is being endangered and in whose interest.
.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-06-11/news/godfrey-and-marlene-farrugia-hit-out-at-chris-fearne-5427363840/
Is Dr Godfrey Farrugia unable to stand up for himself about anything, without the need of having the harridan perpetually by his side running the show?
In Maltese, we have a word to describe such males, but will refrain from using it out of politeness.
If I was Joseph Muscat, I would try to pass off Mr Abdulrahman as the son of the late Claudio Villa and avoid all future problems.
As expected, the logical ‘necessity’ to the sale of Maltese passports:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140611/local/asset-repatriation-programme-launched.522944
But one day he might be the one who holds the key to the oil fields.
Daphne, you’re amazing. Allow me to make a suggestion. It would be a great idea if you could organise a private course in journalism to some of our don’t-ask-silly-questions journalists.
They have a lot to learn from you. You can teach them how to pick the phone and call directly at the source. You can teach them a thing or two about how to keep track of a story they come across and how to put the right, pertinent questions to the right people. You can, in fact, teach them how to be good journalists.
[Daphne – There are lots of good journalists. They just don’t have the freedom I do. I’m not better; I just have lots more leeway.]
I agree.
Ah, but the real story is the why. Why should the Maltese government shelter two former Libyan leaders? This story goes a long way back, to 2005.
Why?
Who was guarding Zeidan when he was kidnapped? What passport did they have?
I wasn’t there. Do tell.
A Maltese passport.
Back in 2011 during the Libyan War, the entire nation was shocked because I swore at the “businesses” that our PM said he wanted to protect through his fence-sitting. Mijiet ta’ Maltin jaqilghu hobzhom il-Libja, they said back then. What they didn’t say was that if push came to shove they could always come back to Malta and rejoin the police corps.
Interesting. Did you also know that Shiv Nair was involved in organising relief operations to Libya financed by Qatar?
Now join the dots.
Of course I do. Most of those ‘relief operations’ ended up in in a charming little valley called Amettetaï.
I also know who’s advising our government on Libya.
Secret meetings, secret deals behind the people’s back. Secret treaties. Hey this is not the Labour Party’s country. This is OUR COUNTRY. MALTA TAGHNA LKOLL u mhux ta’ Joseph Muscat jew il-pedini tieghu. Fejna t-trasparenza li tant werzaq biha u li kien jikkritika bl-ahrax lill-Gvern ta’ Gonzi biex issa qed jaghmel aghar minnhu.
So the residents were in danger, right? Yet you publish the exact address where he is lodging, putting them more in danger?? Lighten me coz I find this extremely stupid.
You publish photos of police officers, being Maltese citizens like us, thus putting them in extreme danger. Yourself stated that he came to Malta after an attempt on his life. Very professional, proset!
You publish the name of one of the police officers, putting him and his family in danger. Reading your article, it looks like a rat or more than one is among the Rapid Intervention Unit personnel. I checked his profile which is private. You only had access to his profile pictures. Apart from that, common friends I have with this officer told me that the photos you published are just him and his wife and the car in the photo is just a Mercedes owned by a friend of his who was with him at the wedding and offered him to drive it for his going away. Anything wrong in that??? But your stupid followers made a whole story of it, saying he is corrupt and all sorts of blasphemies.
Someone said the the police officers are payed by the taxpayers so they ought to reveal all the work they’re doing. Do you know the meaning of National Security??? I think you don’t!
Apart from that, the Maltes government has to give protection to VIP’s when they put foot on this Island. Why do we have to put him in such danger?
And Daphne got the information from Libyan sources. Good for you Ma’am!! Hope you didnt get the info from the same factor that wants to eliminate this poor guy!!
I won’t call you names like others do. I just pray the dear Lord to forgive you for the harm you are doing.
[Daphne – This is such a stupid comment that I don’t know where to begin. Eight police officers swarming round two cars outside a building on the main road in Xemxija, 24 hours a day, is hardly a covert operation. Going to eat at the sort of restaurant where other patrons read the news and can recognise a face, accompanied by a bustle of four security men, is not a covert operation either. I found out because other people know. If other people know, then so does anyone who wants to assassinate him – because OBVIOUSLY their information intelligence is going to be better than mine or that of the people from whom I found out. As for that police officer, he’s an idiot – a sitting duck on Facebook. If I were the person under guard, I would be absolutely furious that the person in charge of my safety is such a tool.]
Whoever you are, you are completely wrong or being completely dishonest on one point.
As I speak, I am looking at the Facebook page of one Jack Farrugia because his profile is public, meaning I can look at it without being a ‘friend’.
I can tell you he has befriended a certain police officer called Maverick Camilleri who seems to think of himself as a male model judging by his photographs. Although he looks very smart in his police uniform standing next to his dear mum.
How on earth do you think I found this out without knowing these people? It’s because both of them have no sense of security as they are posting their lives for the world to see. Which is worrying in their positions.
Next time, please try and sort out what you are talking about before chucking around accusations and belittling yourself. And if you know these two people, tell them how to turn on the privacy settings on Facebook.
You’re wrong about the photos. I could see them too and I’m not friends with Jack Farrugia online or offline.
Some people din’t get it. Nothing you put on Facebook is private, unless you’re the only person who can see it – in which case, why bother?
Exactly. That is the reason they publish them on Facebook or any other network. They want them to be seen, even when they ‘protect’ the photos with privacy policies. They are flattered when they are ‘stolen’. It’s false modesty.
When people do not have any real achievements in life they try to make up for it otherwise by showing off property, usually cars, excessive partying etc. In this case, he resorted to showing off using other people’s property.
It appears that someone is conveniently mixing PERSONAL interest with national interest….
And no matter how hard the PN tries, and how much it insists that it won’t let the government go over us like bulldozer, that is just what is happening, and it seems there is no way of stopping them.
Is it Maltese national security they are protecting or Libyan?
Or the Libyan’s, you mean.
I’m starting to worry. An attempt on this man’s life could be executed anywhere; that’s why he had at least four security officers protecting him.
Entering a restaurant with an escort of four plain clothes police officers barging in without eating or socialising can only make matters worse for the escorted person.
Abdulkarim Abdulrahmann could be a dead man walking.
Can you imagine what could happen if a waitress walks towards the (wrong) table with fireworks on a birthday cake?
Can you imagine a pizza delivery man ringing the (wrong) door of the heavily guarded person’s apartment?
Accidents do happen.
Gahan, are you joking?
Rather than asking Kurt, why don’t you ask Hon Carmelo Abela, Government’s spokesman since last March?
Or is this just a Taghna Lkoll MP honararium top up?
I don’t believe (or rather, can’t) the Maltese government/security service is doing this and the American and/or European intelligence not knowing.
If I were a journalist I would give a tinkle to couple of embassies. Sadly, I’m not.
[Daphne – Oh for heaven’s sake, of course they know. But they’re not journalists, either. They’re not obliged to report what they know. They’re obliged to keep a lid on it.]
If Abdulrahman’s girlfriend, Joanna, lives with him, are we paying for her security cover too?
I believe this to be a reasonable question which the government should answer. I don’t imagine they are joined at the hip, so she must be going out or staying home without him. Is she accompanied by the police when she does that?
When has the well being of a former prime minister or his deputy from a neighbouring Arab country become a matter of Malta’s national security?
When the Gov knows that it is well out of its depth and could get in the poo both with the country of origin and it’s own electorate.
Hiding his identity is a matter of national security, apparently. That’s a bit of nonsense. Now that everyone knows who he is, what are they trying to hide?
The Ali Zeidan story never made it out of Malta.
Except the Shanghai Daily. Interesting. They must be wired directly to Castille.
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=223643
“China has fast become a major player in the world’s economy, and a major trading partner, indeed growing, with the European Union. Every day we hear of one area or another where the EU, or any of its Member States, increase or develop their level of cooperation with China, something that we have always sought to do,” he said, adding that the setting up of the Xinhua bureau is sure to provide a useful and valuable link between Malta and China.”
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/31905/xinhua-news-agency-bureau-launched-in-malta-20131129
Xinhua have a stringer in Malta.
Time for an update:
http://timesofbaxxter.com/index.php/think/item/210-ali-zeidan-we-want-answers/210-ali-zeidan-we-want-answers
I still haven’t got my answers though. Neither have you or anyone else.