Saadi Kadafi joins his father, Moammar Kadafi of Libya, brother Seif Islam and an uncle as fugitives. Saadi Kadafi is known to have fled to Niger, which is under pressure to hand him over.
The international police agency, Interpol, on Thursday
placed Moammar Kadafi's son Saadi on its most wanted list, where he joins his
father, an elder brother and an uncle as hunted men.
Unlike the other wanted Kadafi kin, whose whereabouts
remain a mystery, Saadi Kadafi is known to have taken refuge in neighboring
Niger, a country caught between a longtime allegiance to Kadafi and an unease
with serving as a haven for the deposed Libyan leader's fugitive entourage.
Saadi Kadafi, 38, a former professional soccer player and
onetime aspiring Hollywood producer, is wanted by Libya's transitional
government for "armed intimidation" and misappropriation property
while he headed the Libyan Football Federation, Interpol noted.
Interpol's decision to issue a "red notice" for
Saadi Kadafi will probably heighten pressure on Niger to return him to his
homeland, where he could face trial and imprisonment.
There was no immediate comment from authorities in Niger,
one of a number of sub-Saharan African nations where Kadafi's regime lavished
funds, winning considerable goodwill. The longtime Libyan leader fashioned
himself as a "guide" for the continent.
Saadi Kadafi and assorted Kadafi functionaries reportedly
have been ensconced in luxury villas in Niger's capital, Niamey. Officials of
Niger have said the former regime figures are under "surveillance,"
but it is unclear whether they are free or under house arrest.
The U.S. State Department urged Niger to disarm fleeing
Kadafi regime figures and confiscate any gold, jewelry or other valuables that
may have been looted from their homeland.
Saadi Kadafi was best known for his passion for soccer
(he had a brief career playing in Italy), fast cars and sleek boats, along with
an unfulfilled desire to use Kadafi Inc.'s vast financial resources to become a
Hollywood player. But he also headed a military unit that, according to Libya's
new rulers, cracked down brutally on protesters.
A 2009 U.S. Embassy cable disclosed by WikiLeaks, the
anti-secrecy group, called Saadi Kadafi "notoriously ill-behaved" and
cited his "troubled past, including scuffles with police in Europe
(especially Italy), abuse of drugs and alcohol, excessive partying."
In recent years, Saadi Kadafi has mostly devoted himself
to assorted business ventures, including a projected free-trade zone near the
Tunisian border and an ambitious plan to spend about $100 million to produce
independent films.
Interpol has also issued red notices for Moammar Kadafi,
his son Seif Islam — once regarded as his father's likely successor — and
Kadafi's longtime intelligence chief, Abdullah Sanoussi, who is also the ousted
leader's brother-in-law. The International Criminal Court in The Hague is
seeking the trio's arrest for alleged crimes against humanity committed during
the crackdown on protests this year.
A number of Kadafi's relatives fled last month to
neighboring Algeria. They include the leader's wife, Safiya; his daughter,
Aisha; and two sons, Mohammed and Hannibal, along with several grandchildren.
One son, Khamis, a military commander, was reported killed during fighting near
Tripoli, and another, Seif Arab, was said by the regime to have been killed in
a North Atlantic Treaty Organization airstrike in April.
patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com
