Four men jailed after attempting to flee country

Four Egyptian nationals were jailed after being convicted of attempting to flee the Maltese Islands on board the vessel ‘Liberty V’.

Prosecuting Inspector Mario Haber charged Mohamed Mosaad Sadek Abou Hegazy , Abdou Mohamed Elsayed Elbahlawan, Mohamed Saleh Abouelmaatty Barakat and Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Elrawady, with leaving Malta illegally and without any form of documentation. The incident happened on 11 March 2013.

Mr Justice Michael Mallia, jailed Mohamed Mosaad Sadek Abou Hegazy for four years, and imprisoned the other three co-nationals for two and a half years each. The four Egyptians were also ordered to pay €879 in court related fees.

The court ruled that the seizure of the vessel ‘Liberty V’ remains unprejudiced as it does not belong to the four Egyptians. Court proceedings against boat owner Martin Cachia are still ongoing.