Italy seizes €2m belonging to broker who sold Gaddafi son's properties in Rome

The Italian authorities announced on Friday the confiscation of €2 million in the possession of a person who acted as a real estate broker to sell properties belonging to one of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s sons, local media have reported.

“In April 2010,” said the Guardia di Finanza administration, “the person known as B.A. A.A. made a simulated purchase of several real estate properties in Rome as a mediator in favour of Al-Mutassim, son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.”

The Guardia di Finanza is a security branch affiliated to the Italian army. It is tasked with combating financial crimes with a mandate to deal with some serious offences such as those committed by mafia organisations and drug dealers. “The properties included two apartments, a garage and a store, and the contract was worth €5 million at the time.”

The source pointed out that in 2016 the broker sold the property below its market value in an attempt to get cash as soon as possible.

Read: Gaddafi’s son plans political comeback in Libya

“The investigations led to the seizure of €2 million of the total amount by order of the General Prosecution Office in Rome, in order to disrupt the mediator’s efforts to sneak more money out of Italy after he had already managed to smuggle half a million Euros.” The broker has been tracked down and charged by the Italian Prosecution Office for the fake transfer of property ownership, and money laundering.

The Financial Security Commission at the Ministry of the Interior has been informed of the procedures undertaken as part of the efforts to combat money laundering and terrorism financing which threaten international peace and security. “Al-Mutassim Al-Gaddafi,” the statement added, “was on the UN sanctions list at the time of the property deal.”

The then 36-year-old Al-Mutassim was killed with his father during the Battle of Sirte in October 2011. He was arrested by military forces in Misrata and summarily executed.

Read: Lebanon bans Gaddafi’s son from leaving the country for a year