Two held in custody

A Tunisian man yesterday told a court how he had come to Malta with the intention to travel to Italy illegally and was given the name of a contact before he left his country.

Ramsi Ouni testified how he was advised to negotiate the clandestine trip to Italy with Ferhat (Guellouma) who later asked him for $900 in return.

Ouni testified before Magistrate Antonio Mizzi in the compilation of evidence against John Muscat, 59, of Mosta, Ferhat Guellouma, 51, of Algeria, Mahmoud Abdalla Farag, 34, of Egypt, Omar Arab Deiaeddin, 36, of Libya, and Mohammed Ibrahim Gohar, 41, of unknown nationality.

They are pleading not guilty to conspiring to aid and abet immigrants travel from Malta to Sicily clandestinely on the night between June 28 and 29.

Ouni said he told Guellouma that he only had $650 and he referred him to a Libyan man called Asam who, he said, would be able to help him.

Ouni met Asam who, in turn, introduced him to Deiaeddin who was responsible for organising the trip. But when Ouni was told $650 was not enough, he suggested leaving his passport as a deposit and as a guarantee that he would give them more money on arrival to Italy.

Ouni said he was called up for the trip a first time but the journey did not happen. He was eventually called up a second time and was taken somewhere he could not identify.

Tunisians Abdalhalim El Faguiri and Mohammed Chairi followed Ouni to the witness stand. They said they had negotiated the clandestine trip to Italy with a Libyan man.

Questioned about the man's identity, the men said they could not give any more details. At this point, Magistrate Mizzi had them put in custody until the next sitting.

The case continues.

Police Inspector Neville Xuereb is prosecuting.

Dr Michael Sciriha and Dr Joanne Vella Cuschieri are appearing for Muscat, Farag and Gohar, Dr Ruth Scott is appearing for Guellouma and Dr Leo Bencini is appearing for Deiaeddin.