Gaddafi's son arrested
2008-07-17 14:02
Geneva - A son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has been arrested by Swiss police after being accused of assaulting staff at a Geneva hotel, Swiss media reported on Thursday.
Hannibal Gaddafi, 32, was arrested at the five star Hotel President Wilson on Tuesday after two maids accused him of hitting them, Radio Suisse Romande reported.
Judicial authorities could not be reached on Thursday morning to confirm the reports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment.
Swiss daily Le Matin said that Hannibal, the fourth son of the Libyan leader, had been accused of inflicting bodily wounds and threatening behaviour, along with his wife who has not been detained.
Two of Hannibal's bodyguards have also been held after they clashed with police making the arrest, the paper said.
Le Temps newspaper said that the Swiss government is trying to prevent the matter from becoming a diplomatic incident, not least because Libya is the largest provider of oil to Switzerland.
Hannibal Gaddafi is no stranger to brushes with the law: he was detained in Paris in 2005 for alleged violence against his companion after incidents in two luxury hotels in the city.
He also gained notoriety for driving down the Champs Elysees at 140km/h before being stopped by police.