A man who hijacked a Libyan passenger plane and landed it in Malta in December 2016 changed his plead to guilty on Monday. 

Moussa Shaha Ali Sako was one of two men to take control of the Afrikiyah Airways plane that was bound for Tripoli from Sabha on December 23, 2016.

Using replica guns and fake explosives, the two men had ordered the plane to change course for Rome. 

They were then persuaded to change that plan and land in Malta instead. The A320 plane landed at Malta International Airport and remained on the runway for four hours. 

All 120 passengers aboard the plane were eventually released unharmed. The two alleged hijackers, Mr Sako and  Ali Ahmed Lano Saleh, were charged with a string of offences punishable with up to life in prison. 

Hijackers had both plead guilty

Both initially filed not guilty pleas and a court heard how the hijackers seemed unclear about their plans and confused by the plane layout. One witness described Mr Sako as “rather stupid”. 

On Monday, Mr Sako told a court that he wanted to change his plea to ‘guilty’. 

Legal aid lawyer Martha Mifsud told the Court, presided over by magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, that she had consulted the accused “once, twice and three times,” but that he was set in his decision. 

After reading out the charges one by one and explaining the implications of each, the Court again asked the accused whether he was still pleading guilty. Mr Sako once again confirmed his plea. 

In the light of that admission, the Court ordered the acts of the compilation to be sent to the attorney general and for the Registrar of the Courts to be notified accordingly.

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