The Minister of the Interior for Libya's interim Government of National Unity (GNU), Imad Trabelsi, said that what was reported about him carrying 500,000 euros in cash on a trip to Paris was incorrect and was repeated by a journalist, considering that this is “an accusation that harms him and his family.”

He added at a cabinet meeting in Al-Khoms on Thursday: “Regarding my visit to Paris, I was traveling as a normal person. I went to Paris with a special ticket and without guard on March 2. I landed at Charles de Gaulle airport and went to the customs department to register an amount of 20,000 euros as a procedure followed in many countries.”

He said he received an official paper from a Paris airport employee regarding the registration of the amount, continuing: “I left the airport and the second day I went to the same airport to travel to Turkey as usual, but I was surprised by one of the journalists, Kamal Al-Marash, when he said that I had 500,000 euros and this is not true. I told him on what basis do you say these words?"

Cabinet Meeting

During the cabinet meeting Trabelsi said the 20,000 euros did not only belong to him personally, as half of it was allocated to an injured Libyan being treated in France, to which GNU Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dabaiba replied, “we do not want exaggeration because some may use this response to spread more rumors and allegations.”

Dabaiba added "This is a sufficient and important clarification for you, the government, and all Libyans as we initially believed what was shown on the screens."

Dabaiba then declared the issue closed, saying that his government is in a battle against accusations but stressed the need not to carry cash and deal with bank cards from now on.

Paris

Last Friday, a Western diplomatic source confirmed to Alwasat that a large amount of money was seized from Trabelsi upon his arrival in Paris, an amount that he had not declared upon his arrival at Charles de Gaulle Airport.

The source added that the money was confiscated by customs after Trabelsi was questioned and that he would be summoned before a French investigating judge within two days, pending confirmation of his residence address in Paris.