London - Zaki Chehab
Libyan Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi Al-Mahmoud.
Sources close to Libyan Prime Minister in Gaddafi’s regime Al-Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi have firmly denied news circulating in the past 24 hours of his departure to Djerba Island in Tunisia after the fall of Tripoli by
rebels in Libya. Al-Baghdadi’s sources informed Arabstoday that the Libyan PM is still in Tripoli with his family and people, and that he is about to make a statement in the coming few hours. The sources added by saying that the Libyan PM was held against his will by Gaddafi loyalists for 6 days on the 21st till the 27th August of this month. He did however escape the loyalists on Saturday and managed to seek refuge in a safe house in the centre of Tripoli. Prior to the fall of the capital, Gaddafi confiscated the passports of many senior officials in his government to prevent them from travelling abroad; he kept them in a safe house that was heavily guarded to prevent them from making any contact with anyone outside of the house. Arabstoday have learned on Monday that Al-Mahmoudi is in contact with the leader of the Libyan NTC through a third party.