World

No return of Libya cash: Gaddafi wife

By AAP Newswire

Jul 23, 2022

Former Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi. — Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's son Mutassim deposited millions of euros into a Maltese bank. -EPA

The widow of Libya's former leader Muammar Gaddafi has appealed against a decision by a Malta court ordering the Bank of Valletta to return to Libya some 95 million euros ($A144 million) deposited by Gaddafi's late son Mutassim.

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Safiya Ferkash Mohammed and her lawyers argue the courts lacked jurisdiction and were not in a position to decide the case over the funds.

The sentence was delivered at the end of June after a legal battle that started in 2012, a year after Gaddafi was overthrown and killed.

Mutassim, who was also killed, was found in possession of several Bank of Valletta credit cards as the owner of a Maltese-registered company.

The appeal was filed on behalf of the Gaddafi heirs by Maltese lawyer Louis Cassar Pullicino. No date for a hearing has been set.

The original court had upheld arguments by Libya's attorney-general that according to Libyan law, as an army officer, Mutassim had been precluded from drawing benefits from any business interests.

Moreover, he had failed to submit a full declaration of assets as required by law.

In her appeal, the widow argued the Libyan laws invoked in the case were criminal ones but that no criminal case was ever initiated against Mutassim Gaddafi or his heirs.

By AAP Newswire

Australian Associated Press