Update 2 | Missing man located in Libya

The 49-year-old Maltese national who was yesterday reported missing in Libya, has been located in Libya after the police made contact with the man.

In a statement issued this evening, government said that Muscat was contacted by the police and confirmed that the man is in good health.

he will be returning to Malta in the coming days. Earlier, Muscat made contact with his family for the first time in two weeks after government informed the media of his disappearance earlier today.

During a media briefing held at Castille, Principal Permanent Secretary and Head of Government Contingency Centre Mario Cutajar explained that Roger Muscat was reported missing by his brother yesterday.

Cutajar said that the man’s brother informed the police that Muscat, a public transport employee, had last made contact with his family two weeks ago.

Apparently the man made contact from the vessel on which he had left Malta to reach Libya two weeks ago.

Allegedly, the ship sailed to Libya with Muscat aboard on 21 July, however it did not berth in Tripoli and is now expected back in Malta On Thursday.

The man from St Paul's Bay was in Libya to seek employment and his family said that he left Malta on 21 July, when government had already issued an advice against travelling to Libya.

Cutajar said that government had not yet esteblishd how the man reached the North African country which has seen an escalation in violence over the past three weeks.  However, Cutajar said that government has not yet confirmed whether the man applied for a visa before reaching Libya.

Muscat is a former taxi driver and is officially registered as a Malta Public Transport Services employee.

Cutajar told journalists that the last signal from the missing man’s mobile was received on 23 July from an off-shore location. He also explained that so far no faction has reported kidnapping him and to date neither Muscat's family nor government have received a demand for ransom.

Last week, another Maltese national, Martin Galea, was released by a Libyan militia 11 days after he was abducted for unknown reasons.