Libya: Gaddafi’s Oil Minister Flees To Tunisia

A source in the Libyan opposition Transitional National Council said Tuesday that the Libyan Oil Minister Shukri Ghanem announced his defection from the regime and joined the rebels. Tunisia confirmed that Ghanem is in its territory.

The move of Ghanem is part of a series of defections from the government led by Muammar Gaddafi. The most prominent figure to quit the regime was former intelligence chief and Foreign Minister Musa Kussa a few weeks ago.

Ghanem denied late last March reports that he left Libya after Al Jazeera TV reported then he had defected from the regime of Gaddafi and headed for Tunisia.

On the other hand, Gaddafi’s regime said Monday’s request of the International Criminal Court prosecutor to issue an arrest warrant of the Libyan leader on charges of crimes against humanity, is based on “press reports”.

A spokesman for the Libyan regime, Musa Ibrahim, said in a statement: “Unfortunately, the International Criminal Court’s position was based since the crisis began on press information. As a result, the International Criminal Court reached inaccurate results.”