Ambassador to Libya investigated after 'harassment complaint'
Franklin Aquilina has served in the role since September
The Foreign Ministry has said it is “aware of an ongoing police investigation” concerning Malta's ambassador to Libya, following allegations published online by a Libyan journalist.
Posting on X, Geneva-based Libyan journalist Khalil Elhassi said Frank Aquilina was being investigated over claims of alleged harassment, following a complaint by a Libyan employee working at the Maltese embassy in Tripoli.
Aquilina, who was appointed ambassador in September, was arrested and detained for 48 hours upon his arrival in Malta while on a special visit, Elhassi wrote.
Citing unnamed sources, Elhassi reported that Aquilina was required to check in daily with authorities following his release.
When contacted, the Foreign Ministry told Times of Malta that while it had not received a complaint about the matter discussed in Elhassi’s reporting, it was “aware of an ongoing police investigation” concerning the ambassador.
“We understand that the matter is still under investigation and that no charges have as yet been filed,” the ministry said, adding that it “takes any allegation of harassment very seriously and is following developments closely”.
The ambassador is currently in Malta, according to the ministry.
Elhassi, who describes himself as a “writer and journalist specialising in Libyan domestic politics and investigative reporting on corruption”, has over 100,000 followers on X.
Aquilina is a seasoned diplomat, having previously served as Malta's representative to Palestine, consul general in Istanbul and chargé d'affaires for Malta's embassy to Denmark.
It is unclear what kind of relationship Aquilina had with the employee and whether it was consensual.
Efforts to contact him for a comment on Sunday were in vain.