Saif al-Islam is reported to have a vast art collection The Secretary General of Interpol Ronald Noble has revealed that a joint task force has been established with Libya to track down the fortune of ousted dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The UK government said that rare artworks are likely to be among the items that are being tracked.
It is estimated that the Gaddafi family has siphoned off billions in assets during their 40-year reign, reports the Arts Newspaper. Around $100million is thought to be invested in the UK alone.
Gaddafi’s second eldest son Saif al-Islam was a keen art collector, and it is thought that he may have amassed a comprehensive and expensive art collection. Islam is currently in custody charged with crimes against humanity. “Art was probably bought through other organisations not affiliated with the regime or through investment groups,” says Ghazi Gheblawi, a spokesman for the Libyan embassy in London. Meanwhile, the British government has formed the Arab Spring asset recovery task to speed up the repatriation of Libyan assets, including works of art.