Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/570058
MIRIAM DALLI ALMOST 75,000 visas have been issued by the Maltese embassy in Libya since 2011, figures obtained by MaltaToday show. Peaking at 44,789 requests and 37,486 visas is- sued, 2013 alone saw half of all visas issued in the past four years. It now transpires that the police have widened investigations over a suspected visa scam per- taining to Libyan nationals and their sponsors in Malta, following the arrest of auditor Joe Sam- mut. Police are also looking into the visas that have been issued since 2011. According to sources, the investigation is "wider than originally thought". Ever since Libya plunged into civil war in 2011, ousting dictator Muammar Gaddafi, the coun- try has been left in a shambles, with rival govern- ments seated in Tripoli and in Tobruk. But during this time, Libyan nationals seek- ing a way out of their war-torn country travelled to Malta legally on the strength of a travel visa: since 2011, a total of 91,331 requests were made and 74,958 visas issued. Newspaper post M S P A C E Call MASQUERADE today on 2124 6619 / 7979 3737 or email us on info@masquerademalta.com for full details. MASQUERADEMALTA.COM Facebook.com/MasqueradeMalta Triq Oscar Zammit Msida YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT maltatoday SUNDAY • 13 September 2015 • iSSue 827 • publiShed every wedneSday and Sunday Great Siege hero had little love for Maltese 13 12 PAGE 7 INTERVIEWED British High Commissioner Rob Luke A message of compassion in an age of polarisation Malta's refugees fall to all-time low PG 6 Back to school... and traffic is people's top concern! 'Millions lost without US navy repairs' says Palumbo But political parties agree controversial S.O.F.A. must be on Maltese terms MATTHEW VELLA The Italian operators of the dockyard in Cospicua have told MaltaToday the lack of the contro- versial Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between Malta and the US is costing the company millions in potential revenue from the repair of military vessels. Managing director Antonio Pa- lumbo said the elusive agreement between Malta and the US cost his shipyard some €30 million in rev- enues over the past five years. "US authorities have officially ex- pressed their desire to repair their ships here," Palumbo said, but without the agreement the US Na- vy must take its ships for repair in other Mediterranean dockyards. But both Labour and the Nation- alist parties are wary of conced- ing to the onerous conditions of the SOFA, despite the economic benefits from ship-repair for naval fleets. Palumbo told MaltaToday that during an inspection of his ship- yard some years ago, US military officials said the shipyard was "lo- gistically very valuable", saying it would benefit the Maltese economy to have US military ships repaired in Malta. PAGE 4 Over 74,000 visas to Libyans by Maltese embassy since 2011 Refugees' welcome: a banner overhangs a motorway bridge in Marsa as Europe's refugee crisis prompts a wave of compassion to succour Syrians displaced by the war PHOTO CHRIS MANGION €1.40 MALTATODAY SURVEY Traffic concern bigger than it was in January 14 15 11 Curb your enthusiasm!