Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/310131
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 11 MAY 2014 4 News If you receive the screening kit, use it and return it Colorectal cancer is preventable if stopped before it starts For more information: Please phone the National Screening Centre on 21227470/1 Facebook Malta National Health Screening Programme Website www.bowelscreening.gov.mt PAGE 1 Malta's consul in Tripoli Dr Marisa Farrugia was recalled to Malta for urgent police questioning at the CID on Friday, after police took action over documented evi- dence of extensive fraud in the Mal- tese embassy, in the issuing of travel visas for Libyans. The investigations took place af- ter a number of Maltese companies claimed that their business letter- heads were being falsified for rec- ommendations and the official invi- tations used for the issuing of a visa for Libyan businessmen. The scam appears to have been an ongoing affair, with allegations that someone in the Maltese embassy in Tripoli was responsible and directly involved in the crime – in conjunc- tion with a criminal gang. A Libyan criminal ring appears to have been responsible in approach- ing Libyans businessmen and offer- ing them an immediate Maltese visa for €1,500. The investigations have been on- going since March 2013, when the police were approached about the issue of falsified letterheads by an unknown individual in the Maltese embassy. This is not the first time that al- legations about impropriety at the Maltese embassy have been report- ed. The police investigations also showed that the Maltese embassy would give preference to issuing 'fraudulent' visas before bona fide applications. At present the Tripoli embassy is- sues up to 300 visas to Malta every day. In June 2013, the Foreign Affairs ministry had issued a statement confirming that the alleged abuse in the issuing of visas by the Maltese Consulate in Libya had been under investigation for weeks. However, despite confirming that a preliminary internal investigation was initiated upon the order of for- eign affairs minister George Vella, government never revealed the out- come of the investigations. Following allegations that the Consulate was charging up to €3,000 for visa applications which actu- ally cost €70 (120 Libyan Dinars), the processing of applications and back-office work was outsourced to a private company. Farrugia was posted to Libya dur- ing this period and was entrusted with overseeing the transition of the visa application process to VFS Glo- bal, a global outsourcing and tech- nology services specialist for dip- lomatic missions and governments worldwide. However, company is not involved in the investigations underway. Police probing suspected visa racket inside Tripoli consulate 450,000 contraband cigarattes, firearms seized by police POLICE officers from the Eco- nomic Crimes unit and the Ad- ministrative Law Enforcement unit today stopped a cabin cruiser at 12pm inside the Grand Ha- bour, with a considerable illegal haul of contraband tobacco. The police found 45 master cas- es containing 450,000 cigarattes, and two hand-guns. Two men were arrested on board the cabin cruiser. A duty magistrate assigned ex- perts to assist in the inquiry, and police investigations were ongo- ing. Tripoli consul Marisa Farrugia was questioned by police over the allegedly forged company letterheads being used to have visa recommendations issued.