LIBYA: The body of Shokri Ghanem, the former Libyan oil chief who died in mysterious circumstances in Austria, is brought back to Triploi for burial

Record ID: 861166

  • Title: LIBYA: The body of Shokri Ghanem, the former Libyan oil chief who died in mysterious circumstances in Austria, is brought back to Triploi for burial
  • Date: 4th May 2012
  • Summary: TRIPOLI, LIBYA (MAY 3, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF TRIPOLI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PLANES ON AIRPORT TARMAC VARIOUS OF TURKISH AIRLINES PLANE CARRYING BODY OF SHOKRI GHANEM ARRIVING AT AIRPORT CLOSE OF TURKISH AIRLINES LOGO PLANE CARGO UNIT OPENING DOCUMENTS APPROVING REPATRIATION OF GHANEM'S BODY HELD BY OFFICIAL VARIOUS OF COFFIN DRAPED IN WHITE SHROUD PLACED ON CONVEYOR BELT CLOSE OF LABEL READING GHANEM'S NAME, AIRPORT ORIGIN AND DESTINATION OFFICIALS STANDING NEXT TO COFFIN OFFICIALS PUSHING COFFIN AWAY ON TROLLEY
  • Embargoed: 19th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Libya
  • City:
  • Country: Libya
  • Topics: Politics,People
  • Reuters ID: LVA6ATI9U31M818OF2F8SJSWHUVB
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: The body of Shokri Ghanem, a confidant and former oil chief of Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi who fled to Austria after defecting last year, was repatriated to Libya on Thursday (May 3).
    The body, which was found floating in the river Danube on Sunday (April 29), arrived back home in Tripoli from a Turkish flight.
    The coffin was draped in a white shroud with air cargo labels showing Ghanem's name.
    Austrian police have said they have no reason to suspect foul play but the circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.
    Ghanem, who was wanted in Libya for questioning in a graft inquiry, was a former Libyan prime minister who also ran the Libyan oil industry before defecting a year ago during the uprising that toppled Gaddafi.
    That made him privy to potentially damaging information on oil deals with Western governments and oil firms.
    He would have had enemies among Gaddafi's opponents because of his years at the centre of power, as well as among the late leader's friends and kin because of his decision to defect.
    A passerby discovered Ghanem's fully clothed body in the Danube, a few hundred metres (yards) from his home in a 22-storey apartment block.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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