Libya’s Former Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril was involved in the release of Maltese oil worker Martin Galea, local newspaper reported on Sunday.
The 42-year-old Maltese worker, who was abducted on July 17 by Libyan rebel militias outside Tripoli, capital of war-torn Libya, was finally released after 11 days and returned Malta unharmed on July 28.
The Times of Malta reported that Jibril confirmed his involvement when contacted in a brief phone call in which he appeared unwilling to go into too much detail.
“I received a call from the Maltese side telling me that a Maltese citizen had been abducted in a certain part of the country and asked if I could mediate and so I got involved,” Jibril said.
He said he called some “influential people” in the Warshefana area, a zone on the outskirts of the capital, populated by former Gaddafi loyalists.
“I reminded them that Malta is a friend and that we need to remain on very good terms with the country and they promised that they would do their best to resolve the matter.”
A Libyan newspaper claimed on Tuesday that a ransom may have been paid for the release of Galea. Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has cleared that no ransom request was ever made to the Maltese government, and none was paid.
Galea was flown to Malta within hours of being released on Monday afternoon. He is now resting at home after a medical check-up at Mater Dei Hospital.