Libya Warns Switzerland Over Probe Of Gaddafi Son

Hannibal Gaddafi was arrested by Geneva police on July 15 and was charged with mistreating two domestic employees.

Libya has told Switzerland it must wrap up a probe into the arrest earlier this year of a son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi or face unspecified further sanctions, the Foreign Ministry said.

Hannibal Gaddafi was arrested by Geneva police on July 15 and was charged with mistreating two domestic employees, a Tunisian woman and a Moroccan man, who later withdrew their formal complaint.

Gaddafi denied the charges and was freed on bail, but the case caused an uproar in Tripoli and led to the detention of two Swiss nationals, who were later released.

Libya's Foreign Ministry has said the two countries had agreed to set up an independent committee to investigate the incident.

Late on Thursday, the ministry said the committee has now almost completed its probe which showed the arrest was illegal but the Swiss side was attempting to paper over the truth.

"The facts are now clear and display the misuse of authority and infringement of legal procedures by Geneva police but the Swiss side in the committee attempts to issue a final report to save the face of the Swiss authorities," it said.

"Our patience has a limit," Abdelatti Labidi, the ministry's top diplomat, was quoted as saying by state media.

Libya had said it would withdraw $7 billion of assets in Swiss banks, cut economic ties with Switzerland and stop supplying it with oil to protest against poor treatment of Gaddafi, Libyan diplomats and businessmen.

The ministry statement gave no details on the previous measures, not did it specify what the threatened future action against Switzerland might be.

Diplomats say hardline backers of Gaddafi want to keep the row alive as part of a power struggle with reformers.