Medavia officers arrested in Libya

Two high-level managers of Malta-based air services company Medavia were being held under arrest by Libyan anti-militia police yesterday. Medavia managing director Abdulrazagh Zmirli and technical general manager Abdalla Dekna were being interrogated in the northwestern city of Zawija after police seized them in the VIP lounge of Tripoli airport last Tuesday, minutes before they boarded a Malta-bound plane. Reports indicated the two men were arrested following claims they helped the Gaddafi regime during last year’s conflict. But despite having been arrested last Tuesday, Libyan authorities had yet to charge either of the two men, with a judicial decision to charge or release the men expected tomorrow. Mr Zmirli, in particular, is highly respected within the Libyan community in Malta for having kept Medavia going and retained its employees despite the upheaval in Libya. He was also instrumental in the organisation of Red Cross relief efforts to Libya during the uprising. A spokesman for the Maltese Government, which has a stake in Medavia, said the Government was aware of Mr Zmirli’s arrest and was monitoring the situation. Family worried Medavia financial general manager Joe...