Libya: Gaddafi's billions to be seized by Britain

Published on 24 Feb 2011 in telegraph.co.uk

By Robert Winnett, and James Kirkup in Muscat

Ministers have identified billions of pounds that Col Muammar Gaddafi and the Libyan regime have deposited in London, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

Col Gaddafi was yesterday accused of ordering the deaths of thousands of protesters, but he refused to surrender as Libya descended into civil war Photo: EPA

The funds are expected to be seized within days. The Treasury is understood to have set up a unit to trace Col Gaddafi's assets in Britain, which are thought to include billions of dollars in bank accounts, commercial property and a £10 million mansion in London.

In total, the Libyan regime is said to have around £20 billion in liquid assets, mostly in London. These are expected to be frozen as part of an international effort to force the dictator from power.

A Whitehall source said: "The first priority is to get British nationals out of Libya. But then we are ready to move in on Gaddafi's assets, the work is under way. This is definitely on the radar at the highest levels."

Col Gaddafi was on Thursday accused of ordering the deaths of thousands of protesters, but he refused to surrender as Libya descended into civil war.

Meanwhile, the British Government struggled to assert its authority following a chaotic few days.

URL du billet: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8346701/Libya-Gaddafis-billions-to-be-seized-by-Britain.html

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Grande-Bretagne : le gouvernement va geler des comptes de Kadhafi à Londres

Le gouvernement britannique va bientôt geler les comptes bancaires domiciliés à Londres du dirigeant libyen Mouammar Kadhafi et son patrimoine immobilier, évalués plus de 20 milliards d’euros, rapporte vendredi le quotidien The Telegraph.

Une équipe du ministère des Finances est chargée de recenser les différents comptes et biens – dont une propriété évaluée à 11,6 millions d’euros – du colonel Kadhafi, selon le quotidien.

«La première priorité est de faire sortir les ressortissants britanniques de Libye», a expliqué au journal une source gouvernementale, ajoutant: «mais après nous sommes prêts à agir sur les biens de Kadhafi, le travail est en cours».

Le gouvernement estime que le colonel possède plus de 20 milliards d’euros de liquidités, essentiellement dans des comptes à Londres. Selon le Telegraph, ils seront gelés «dans les jours à venir».

(...)

Source: http://www.google.fr/imgres?imgurl=http://www.souk-ahras.info/news/local/cache-vignettes/L460xH370/kadhafi-sarkozy-elysee-12dec2007-afp-fc106.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.souk-ahras.info/news/spip.php%3Farticle331&usg=__X_yy-Bg8nxMy5JD_wN3TY4HvkII=&h=370&w=460&sz=17&hl=fr&start=30&zoom=1&itbs=1&tbnid=8JkAWYVdEM1kUM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=128&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsarkozy%2Bkadhafi%26start%3D21%26hl%3Dfr%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1W1GGHP_fr%26ndsp%3D21%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=_XhnTZX4JtSN4AbXk4CvCQM1kUM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=128&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsarkozy%2Bkadhafi%26start%3D21%26hl%3Dfr%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1W1GGHP_fr%26ndsp%3D21%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=_XhnTZX4JtSN4AbXk4CvCQ