In the interview, Gafà also revealed that in 2019 he was involved in discussions with the Libyan Transport Ministry and the Tunisian authorities to set up a ferry shipping line between Malta, Libya and Tunisia.

“There was also a great interest shown within the private sector [and] I can say that there was enthusiasm for such a project and both Libya and Tunisia supported the idea,” he said.

“Unfortunately, due to political changes in Malta, such discussions didn’t continue.”

Gafà said he considers Tunisia to be his “second home” and that, in his current role as a business consultant, he promotes the North African country to international companies.

“I urge them to explore investing in this North African jewel,” he said. “I am pleased to tell you that along with the Tunisian private sector and international companies, we are working on a large-scale project that will be another silent revolution in economic terms.”

Gafà used to work as a person of trust at the Office of the Prime Minister but resigned in January 2020, a day after Robert Abela was sworn into the job.

He had close ties with Tunisian and Libyan authorities, so much so that the Maltese government asked him to coordinate the controversial pushback of a migrant vessel in April 2020.

Gafà used to be a project director at the Health Ministry and was in charge of liaising with the Immigration Commission for the transfer of injured Libyan citizens to Malta for treatment.

In 2014, he was implicated in an alleged racket involving medical visas, with 12 Libyan nationals claiming he had demanded money in return for treatment in Malta, which the government was offering for free to casualties of the Libyan civil war.

Five of these men also testified in court that Gafà had travelled to Libya and offered them money so as not to testify in the case.

Exclusive recordings and photos heard by Lovin Malta through interlocuter Ivan Grech Mintoff seem to suggest that Gafa’ had actually rushed to the war-torn country in November 2018 to try shut up critical witnesses in the medical visa scandal.

Gafà has confirmed with Lovin Malta that a meeting with the witnesses took place but categorically denied any attempts to bribe the witnesses.

Last month, he lost two libel cases against The Malta Independent over these allegations, although magistrate Victor Axiak stressed that this judgement doesn’t mean there is enough criminal evidence against Gafà.

However, he urged the police to investigate the witnesses’ claims that Gafà had tried to “buy their silence.”

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