Libya has issued a warrant for Al Mismari's arrest on charges of
stealing government funds. On Nov. 29, France arrested Al Mismari, reported
to have been the first senior Libyan official to defect in more than 20
years, Middle East Newsline reported. The French Justice Ministry said Tripoli would be given 30 days to
submit documents to support the warrant against Al Mismari.
On Dec. 2, the Libya Press news agency, owned by one of Ghadafi's son,
Seif Al Islam, reported that Al Mismari appeared to have been the target of
Libya's security agencies, controlled by another of Ghadafi's sons. The
agency said Al Mismari had actually flown to Paris for heart surgery and
would later return to Libya.
The Saudi-owned A-Sharq Al Awsat said Al Mismari fled Libya in fear of arrest or assassination. The London-based daily, quoting Libyan
sources, said Al Mismari used an official visit to an unidentified African
country to divert travel plans and land in Tunisia. From Tunisia, Al Mismari
relayed a request for political asylum in France.
Libya has confirmed its arrest warrant for Al Mismari, said to have
arranged all of Ghadafi's trips abroad. Libyan officials, however, insisted
that Al Mismari, whose son was killed in Tripoli in 2007, was no longer
close to Ghadafi.
"After all, Al Mismari was an ordinary employee, and although he held a
high post, he was an extremely marginal figure," a Libyan official told
A-Sharq Al Awsat.
Opposition sources said Al Mismari's family was still in Libya and
placed under house arrest. They said Al Mismari has assured France and Libya
that he did not intend to join the opposition.
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