The foreign ministry has confirmed that Bern last year paid SFr1.5 million ($1.6 million) into a bank account in Germany. The aim was to build confidence with Libya.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch and agencies
The payment was made to Hannibal Gaddafi, a son of the Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, whose arrest in 2008 by Geneva authorities on charges of mistreating his servants at a luxury hotel in the city caused a crisis between the two countries.
A spokesman for the ministry said the payment was made as part of efforts to try to secure the release of Swiss businessman Max Göldi, who was held in a Libyan jail for four months on alleged visa irregularities.
Goldi’s arrest with another Swiss businessman in Libya was widely seen as retaliation by Tripoli for Hannibal’s detention.
The spokesman described the payment as compensation in the event that Geneva authorities could not discover who handed over mugshots of Hannibal that were subsequently published by the Tribune de Genève newspaper.
He said both sides had agreed the money should be used for humanitarian purposes. To the ministry’s knowledge and a few days before the outbreak of turmoil in Libya the money was still in the German account, he added.
Switzerland on February 24 blocked all assets in the country belonging to the Libyan leader, his family and entourage.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Tamoil issue fuels debate in Switzerland
This content was published on
The Collombey refinery in canton Valais and the petrol stations are part of the Dutch-based Oilinvest group, which belongs to the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA). Although the LIA belongs to the Libyan state, and its purpose is to invest money for the good of the country as a whole – as a sovereign wealth fund…
This content was published on
The foreign ministry said the decision had come into force immediately. “To pre-empt any misuse of state funds, the cabinet today decided to block all assets in Switzerland belonging to Moammar Gaddafi and his entourage with immediate effect,” a ministry statement said. “The sale of the property of these persons – in particular real estate…
This content was published on
As the Swiss federal parliament prepares to release its official report on how the crisis was handled, swissinfo.ch takes a look at the history of the strained relationship between the two nations. The trouble began in mid-July 2008 when Hannibal Gaddafi – a son of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi – was arrested and charged with…
This content was published on
For the past two weeks, unrest has been spreading across Libya, with protesters demanding the departure of the country’s leader, Moammar Gaddafi. The self-styled guide has led the country for more than 40 years and has warned he will fight till the end.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.