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NTC investigates Malta-Libya companies’ role during revolution
Malta-Libya companies among international entities under investigation for Gaddafi connections by NTC unit headed by finance and oil minister Ali Tarhouni
11 September 2011, 12:00am
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Karl Stagno-Navarra
2 min read
A number of companies with joint Maltese and Libyan shareholding have been placed under investigation by the interim government in Tripoli, in a bid to establish their role during the Libyan revolution.
Senior sources within the Libyan National Transitional Council have confirmed that a financial investigations unit has been set up in Tripoli by the NTC’s finance and oil minister Ali Tarhouni.
Speaking from Tripoli, a spokesman for Tarhouni told MaltaToday that the financial investigations unit is looking into the operations of a number of companies mostly based in Malta, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom.
“Several Libyan personalities who were known for their closeness to the Gaddafi regime are listed as shareholders in these companies, and we know that during the revolution, these people and the companies they are involved in were used to counter the revolution,” the spokesman said.
According to the NTC, the financial investigations unit is composed of seven people, including a former senior British official at International Monetary Fund (IMF), and two experienced Canadian forensic accountants.
“We are going through piles of documents we have retrieved from the ministries of trade, economy and oil, and we are now looking for all the Libyan directors who have conveniently disappeared since the fall of Tripoli,” the spokesman said.
Asked what impact could such an investigation have on Malta’s efforts to secure the business that existed before the revolution and future prospects, the spokesman replied that “all honest businessmen have no need to worry. We know who the good guys are, and we know who the puppets were,” he replied.
The investigations are focused mainly on a number of companies and directorships which were not targeted by the UN or EU sanctions, and which allegedly were used to channel funds to finance Col. Gaddafi’s attempts to fight back the revolution that has so far killed more than 60,000 people.
The NTC says that apart from documentation, investigators have collected sworn evidence by staff who worked in the companies and who were in the know of the activities undertaken to help the Gaddafi regime.
Among the companies are the subsidiaries of shipping company General National Maritime Transport Company (GNMTC) which was run by Hannibal Gaddafi.
During the revolution, GNMTC allegedly used Maltese middlemen to bribe maritime authorities to help ships laden with gasoline to reach Tripoli.
Some of the ships managed to make it to the Libyan capital, until more stringent patrols by Nato forces in the Mediterranean blocked a number of ships with suspicious cargo from reaching their destination.
While talks are underway for the NTC to appoint new directors to legitimate state-owned companies, a number of arrest warrants have been reportedly issued by the NTC for Libyan businessmen who allegedly used their directorships to channel funds in favour of Col. Gaddafi and his sons.
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Most of the Maltese people are also waiting for the right moment in time , as to have several companies, Maltese and foreign people investigated, once there will be a change also in Malta, if and when Dr.Muscat will be trusted to be the new Maltese Prime Minister. ACCOUNTABILITY.......Even for those who have lied to the people, have to answer, especially those who have taken €500 a week from the peoples money box behind our back.
Justice is there to be served for every one.
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let us stay away from libya once and for all. WE are now in Europe, who needs Libya. It's a big headache already. I can see it. Malta will be begging to get some minor contract here and there, but it won't be much. better concentrate on getting more tourist. And in a years time we will be hearing how bad things are in libya after the revolution.
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Uppppps !!! Din mhux cajta !! e hija il-flus kemm igibu inkwiet ! nistennew u naraw mela !!
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Ahna il-Maltin nahsbu li nistghu inbellghu ir-ross bil-labra lil kulhadd ghax hekk jaghmlu il-politikanti Maltin lill-poplu. Il-Libjani issa jinvestigaw u jaraw kemm hallatna u qsamna ma Gaddafi &Co; jsibu x'interessi kellhom xi poltikanti Maltin fil-Libja....... altru milli opportunitajiet ghall-kummerc!!
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GonziPN thought that as soon the NTC took control all will be a bed of roses investments will start flying and gonzi's woes will be athing of the past.
Tarhouni is the same person who adviced foreign companies that if they wish to set up shop in Libya they should not have any bases in Malta, so one can expect what sort of results would come out from the investigations.
Let's hope that te local business comunity kept their nose clean because gonziPN can have no say in the case of negative results.
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Dan issa jonqos jinvestigana wara l-Moody's!
When the going was good everybody licked and hugged the Muammar (this included the PM and foreign countries, like Italy and the UK, and towards the end even USA was trying to build a relationship)
Then, nobody said that he was a dictator,as in fact he was.
How time changes and people change with time!
