Libya: money stolen from a central bank in Benghazi found in France

Benghazi Central Bank, September 23, 2020. REUTERS / Esam Omran Al-Fetori

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A French couple was arrested in early October in Limoges with 20,000 euros in moldy banknotes in their possession.

Banknotes which come from the stock looted in the central bank of Benghazi in Libya, at the end of 2017. At the time, the city center where the establishment is located had been taken from the Islamists by the forces of Khalifa Haftar.

And witnesses accuse the son of the strong man from the east of the country of having seized this liquidity which is flowing from Europe.

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At the end of 2017, downtown Benghazi was still deserted, water was flowing in the streets including the one where the central bank was located.

Reliable sources had then argued that the looting of this bank was the work of Khalifa Haftar's son, which a report by the UN group of experts confirmed in September 2018.

Transfer to an unknown location

According to this report, Saddam Khalifa Haftar, who heads the 106 Brigade of the Libyan National Army, ordered the transfer of this money to an unknown location.

He was helped by members of the Libyan National Army (ANL) under high security protection.

Still according to the UN report, the contents of this bank are estimated at 640 million Libyan dinars, 160 million euros and two million dollars, plus 6,000 silver coins.

Not the first looting?

This bank was under the authority of the Deputy Minister of the Interior, Faraj Gaim, imprisoned by Khalifa Haftar's forces shortly before the looting.

As for Saddam Khalifa Haftar, this is not the first time that he has been accused of robbing a bank.

He already did it in Tripoli in 2011, where he was slightly injured.

The moldy money circulating in France and Germany therefore most likely originated from the central bank of Benghazi.

It remains to be seen how he got there.

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  • Libya

  • France

  • Currencies

  • Khalifa Haftar