The finance delegation of the Swiss parliament has agreed to release supplementary credit to cover legal procedures in the dispute with Libya.
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The delegation’s chairman, Hans Altherr, confirmed a report carried by German-language radio on Tuesday, that an extra SFr1.7 million ($1.6 million) would be released.
The money is to pay the Swiss share of the costs of the tribunal to decide on the legality of the brief 2008 arrest in Geneva of Hannibal Gaddafi, a son of the Libyan leader, and his wife.
Altherr told the Swiss News Agency that the delegation had been split down the middle over the allocation, and the chairman had the casting vote.
He said the delegation had “practically no other choice”. Although he personally found the costs “relatively high”, he said he did not expect any more demands.
The financial delegation has six members, drawn equally from the finance commissions of the two chambers of parliament.
Switzerland has already paid SFr1.5 million into a holding account to be paid to the Gaddafi family if the person who leaked police photos of Hannibal in custody is not identified.
Hannibal and his wife were detained when staying in a luxury hotel in Geneva on charges of mistreating two of their servants, a Tunisian and a Moroccan. The servants were later compensated and all charges were dropped.
However, Libya took a number of retaliatory measures against Switzerland. Two Swiss businessmen were detained in Libya, one of whom was subsequently imprisoned for four months for visa violations.
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