Tripoli: March 30
Lawyers for the Qaddafi family today protested at Italy’s seizure of $1.5 billion of assets, frozen last year . . .[restrict]on UN instructions after the dictator launched his assault on civilians in Benghazi.
The Italians were responding to a request from the International Criminal Court in the Hague, which is preparing case against Saif al-Islam and former security chief Abdullah Senussi. The assets include bank accounts, safe deposit boxes and shareholdings in the bank UniCredit, energy company Eni, engineering group Finmeccanica and carmaker Fiat, as well as a stake in Juventus, a football team. Among the real estate seized was a Rome flat and a forest on the island of Pantelleria off the Sicilian coast. There were also two Harley-Davidson motor bicycles.
The lawyers, from Israel, who are acting on behalf of the Qaddafis claim that the seized investments and other property are all personal family property which was being looked after by the Libyan Investment Authority.
In a statement Nick Kaufman, a former ICC prosecutor, asserted: “The Italian seizure of assets comprises a belated and illegal compliance with a dubious court order and a persecutory sanctions regime.
“Not one dollar was used for the personal benefit of the Gaddafi family and not one cent comprises the proceeds of criminal activity.The regime of the late Muammar Gaddafi proudly supported Italian industry through its various state investment funds – doing so for the ultimate benefit of the Libyan people.”
After signing a 2008 treaty of friendship with then Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, Qaddafi oversaw a rapid boost in Libyan investments in Italian industry.
Sources in Rome and the Hague said today that it had taken a lot of investigation since the assets were originally frozen to establish their ownership beyond doubt.
It is not clear at what point the ICC will clear the return of the $1.5 billion to the Libyan Investment Authority. The ICC is currently seeking the extradition of Saif el-Islaam to answer charges of crimes against humanity.
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