Lilu is no longer ‘king’

Mohamed Ali Elmushraty, better known as “Lilu King”, has been stripped of his refugee status, Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield announced, without disclosing the precise legal grounds for the decision.

The ‘populist’ announcement concerns the withdrawal of protection.

Elmushraty, who fled Libya following the 2011 war, was informed of the decision by the International Protection Agency. Bedingfield said the government would not extend humanitarian protection to those who did not qualify for it.

He remains in preventive custody at Corradino Correctional Facility while criminal proceedings continue. The minister said his detention would continue unless a court decided otherwise.

‘Lillu l-King’ is facing various court cases related to organised crime and money laundering, alongside a case concerning an alleged violent sexual assault in San Ġwann.

In the San Ġwann proceedings, Elmushraty faces charges of complicity in offences including non-consensual sexual acts, unlawful detention and aggravated theft.

He has pleaded not guilty.

He also denies the money laundering and organised crime charges arising from his May 2023 arraignment.

The Libyan authorities also want him in connection with a murder case. His lawyers have challenged the reliability of information supplied by those authorities, citing instability in Libya.