Maltese man abducted in Libya arrives home in time for Christmas

Pierre Baldacchino, the Maltese citizen who was abducted in Libya and rescued on Tuesday, has returned to Malta in time for Christmas.

The manager of the St. James Hospital in Tripoli touched down in Luqa this evening aboard a private Medavia jet that had been sent to Mitiga specifically to pick him up. He was accompanied by St James Hospital chairman Josie Muscat and his son and St James Hospital international managing director Jean-Claude Muscat. 

In a brief statement, the Libyan embassy representing the Tobruk government praised Baldacchino for his return in time for Christmas and expressed it's desire for continued good relations between Malta and Libya.

Baldacchino was abducted in Tripoli last week by unknown kidnappers who had reportedly demanded €5 million in random for his release. However, he was rescued in the early hours of Tuesday morning by the Rada militia – an Islamist group linked with the Tripoli government that specializes in arresting criminals who deal in alcohol and drugs.

Rada released two videos afterwards, with the first showing the 36-year-old Baldacchino praising his rescuers for their operation.

The second, longer, video allegedly shows the moment Rada militia –dressed in police gear -stormed a building in Ain Zara to rescue Baldacchino. The Maltese citizen later describes his rescuers as “angels” and recounts how he had been kidnapped while driving home from work, stripped and searched for GPS devices, tased, tied up and blindfolded.