Government dismisses press reports on South Africa mercenaries, Gaddafi money

Earlier, MaltaToday reported South African media reports that mercenaries recruited to aid Muammar Gaddafi in his escape from Lbbya had arrived “late” in Tripoli when rebel forces took control of the capital, and had to flee for their lives by bribing a boat operator to take them to Malta.

In a statement, government said that there “is no veracity in these claims and there has been no such unauthorised landing of persons from Libya.”

Afrikaans-language newspaper Rapport said South African and Libyan officials were investigating reports that at least 19 mercenaries, and as many as 50, had been contracted to provide an armed escort for Gaddafi, in an operation that one alleged mercenary described as a “huge failure”. 

Government also referred to another story revealed by ITV documentary ‘Exposure’ , aired on British television last September, that a source at the British foreign intelligence MI6 had told the programme's producers, that in June - at a time when Gaddafi's forces were suffering regular Nato bombing raids - a Libyan courier flew into London carrying a heavy suitcase, inside which were bank notes wrapped in plastic, which were allegedly "packed in Malta."

It was alleged that the Gaddafi emissary then travelled to London and pass on the money to Irish republican dissidents. The report suggested that Col. Gaddafi wanted to exploit the growing unrest in Northern Ireland as a means of attacking Britain for supporting the overthrow of his regime.

The Maltese government’s statement said that “there is also no information or indication that Malta earlier this year was used as a staging ground to transfer funds from Libya to Northern Ireland as alleged by certain foreign media.”