Hannibal Gaddafi's wounded nanny to seek asylum in Malta

The Ethiopian nanny of Gaddafi's son Hannibal and his wife, Aline Skaf, arrived in Malta for urgent treatment at Mater Dei for severe burn wounds.

15 September 2011, 12:00am
by Karl Stagno-Navarra

2 min read

Video: Courtesy, CNN International

Shweyga Mullah, 30, claimed that she was brutally tortured for refusing to beat their toddler when he was crying, and that she was forbidden from seeking medical treatment for her severe burn wounds.

She has arrived in Malta, accompanied by Malta's head of defence Vanessa Frazer, and health department and civil protection department officials. Mullah is travelling on an air ambulance chartered by the Maltese government, which will also provide her the necessary healthcare.

Officials on board the air ambulance said Shweyga was very grateful to the Maltese for giving her "the opportunity to have her life back".

Dr Etienne Calleja, who is assuming legal representation of Shweyga in Malta, said Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had taken a personal interest in her case, so that she could be brought over to Malta.

Shweyga will also be assisted in seeking asylum, and will also be seeking for damages sustained at the hands of the Gaddafis.

Shweyga told journalists that Skaf "took me to a bathroom and tied my hands behind my back and tied my feet. She taped my mouth. Then she started pouring the boiling water on my head".

"There were maggots coming out of my head because she had hidden me and no-one had seen me," Mullah told told news network CNN. "And then [a guard] found me and put me in the hospital."

But the Gaddafi couple found Mullah and brought her back home, threatening the guard who helped her with prison if he interfered again.

Mullah also says she has not been paid a penny for her year in their service. Co-workers are said by CNN to have backed up her account.

The Maltese government has made arrangements for Shweyga to be brought to Malta today and admitted into Mater Dei Hospital to receive urgent treatment to her severe wounds.

More from Karl Stagno-Navarra

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john Azzoppardi "Better shut up and look like a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt"

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giovann, inti mahniex jew. You are stooping way too low. You need to grow up and stop threating people. Your conduct is very unbecoming old man.

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Ma tindunawx kif naghlaqhulkom halqkom jien? Fejnhom il-lejburisti?

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Halli naqtaghhielek il-kurzita u nghidlek min hadhom ir-ritratti. Il-Blood Brother gie Malta f'dawn id-dati: 25/26 Novembru 1973 19-21 Dicembru 1974 22/23 Mejju 1976 1-3 Lulju 1978 30Maezu-1 April 1979 13 Marzu 1982 17-19 Novembru 1984 Fost l-ohrajn Gaddafi tkellem f'mass rally tal-MLP Bormla, fil-Freedom Hall fil-HQ's tal-Labour, Mass meeting Birzebbugia, zar il-Kazin Laburista ta' Ghawdex u tkellem f'mass rally fir-Rialto. Qtajtlek il-kurzita u tista tinheba.

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Int ghal min qed tghid PlPn Mc ecc ghat-traditur? Imisskom tisthu ridtu toqtluh u mnalla kienil-PN li baghat il-pulizija jiddfendih. Imisskom tisthu. Li ma kienx EFA kien jispicca bhal Saddam.

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Mela insejt kemm ridtu ssallbuh lill-Mintof intom Giovanninu? U nsejt li mbagħad fl-1998 għamiltuh eroj tagħkom? Intom kontu tgħidu li kontu qed tgħixu f'dittatura fi żmien Mintoff mhux minn kien ħaddiem li telgħa mill-faqar ta' sittinijiet. U safejn naf jien dan l-aħħar smajna kemm-il darba mill-midja tal-PN li Mintoff kien il-blood brother ta' Gaddafi, ħeqq....... Issa l-kumplament ma rrispondejtx minn l-aktar li mar jitgħannq ma' Gaddafi u minn għandu l-aktar ritratti miegħu. U tinsix li mhux lil Gaddafi biss imma lil Libjani kollha kontu tgħajjruhom tal-ħabbażież u maħmuġin u bil-baqq, issa saru l-ħbieb u l-ġirien tagħna? X'ipokrezija!!! Eh bilħaqq xorta Mintoff introduċiha u ħoloqha l-penzjoni għax għall-PN kienet ser tispiċċa nbid. Illum Gonzi u sħabu jridu jaqtawlha rasa għax għalihom biss tajba. Tinsix li "dak li qed nagħmlu qed nagħmluh għalina u għall-uliedna". Kliem EFA U Gonzi. Dan biex infakkar dak li ntqal!!!

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David Lexicon, your attack on Maltese doctors would have been more credible if you weren't hiding behind a false name.

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Mintoff lili ma tani EBDA pensjoni. Dik hallast ghaliha jien Il-wires mhux mal-linfa jridu jqabbduhomlok? U dan min dahhalhielu f'rasu li mintoff kien dittatur. Sahha ghajjartuh traditur, issa dittatur? Salva-Tradi-Ditta......TUR? Liema t-tajba?

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Biex timpressjona Sur DeMartino tasal biex tgħid kollox. Qed tistħi tirreferi għal Mintoff biex tgħidilna li kont qed tgħix f'dittatura? Mhux soltu tiegħek!!! Tinsix, jekk dak dittatur għalik imissek ma ħadtx il-penzjoni li provdielek bis-saħħa tiegħu. L-ironija hi, li għal sħabek int ma kontx intitolat għal penzjoni għax kont tmur tleggliha nbid jew insejthom dawn il-ħniżrijiet? U jekk Mintoff kien il-blood brother, nistaqsik Eddie, Dalli u Gonzi x'inhuma?

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The first sentence of my comment here below is out of line. Please do not take notice of it. This woman deserved our hospitality and compassion. My point is that the Government cannot let further foreign patients at the detriment of Maltese patients.

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This poor lady deserves our compassion however we cannot allow further patients to abuse our hospitality. In fact my uncle is at the hospital at the moment and he has serious complications in his health. The specialist concerned wanted to 'kick out' my uncle from the hospital to make room for the Benghazi patients. My uncle protested declaring that his wounds were not completely healed. The specialist concurred. We all came to believe that Mater Dei Hospital is a state-of-the-art hospital. In fact it is not - my uncle was treated with sub-standard service. This Government is more concerned to the welfare of foreigners then his fellow Maltese. Shame, shame and shame on GonziPN. Anyway, we will get rid of them within the next 18 months.

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Gwanninu, tista tghidilna ma fejn kienu jqabbduhomlok il-wajers tad-dawl?

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U hallina Gwanninu. Toqghodx tipprova timpressjona.

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Mhux ezatt. Mal-blood brother tieghu, imma.

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This poor woman should be given the best reatment in the world as she has proved that children are not be abused . She stood in the way so that the child doesnt get hurt because of his brutish mother. I am a racist but must admit that this woman deserves all the help and praise she can get,and hope an pray to go that the gaddafi's do get a punishment whats due to them , in a jail where they would be abused by the inmates themselves.

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Giovann.DeMartino mela kont taħdem miegħu?

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Taraw l-ahwa dittatur x'kapaci jaghmel! Eh..jien naf ghax ghaddejt minnu dan.

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Hannibal and his wife should be brought to justice and pay for their crime. I believe Hannibal is the same one who had a tiff with the swiss authorities about some other nanny or maid. It is aloso up to the new libyan government to see that this poor woman is compensated properly, there is no excuse to dismiss this.