Efforts to Trace Runaway Syrian Hachem Ali

Efforts by the Commissioner of Police John Rizzo are underway to trace 32-year-old Syrian Hachem Ali, who fled to Libya two days before he was meant to appear in Court on Monday 28th May in relation to a case of attempted murder.

hachem ali In a statement on Monday, the Police said that the passport Mr Ali used to leave Malta was not false; however he was lacking an immigration stamp or Visa indicating he entered Malta. Police said this irregularity was “purely administrative”.

The Police carried out investigations after various media reports pertaining to the case. The Police denied that Mr Ali’s passport presented “serious irregularities” adding that at no point did the Immigration Officers suspect that Mr Ali’s passport was false. The Corp added that the system used by Immigration Officers is internationally implemented and ascertained.

According to Police, Mr Ali was using the identity of Ali Kanaan to leave the country, and therefore it was not apparent that he was barred from leaving Malta after a provisional arrest warant issued in March 2001.