Searching for Gaddafi's treasure: A new battle
"King Ngo had thirty-six tons of gold / He died and went to the underworld without taking anything with him" (Vietnamese folk proverb), which also describes the plight of the overthrown leader Gaddafi. To this day, the assets of the dictator who ruled Libya for 42 years remain a hot topic, and the suspicion that Gaddafi may have left behind a treasure before fleeing continues to draw many parties into the discussion.
(Baonghean)"King Ngo had thirty-six tons of gold / He died and went to the underworld without taking anything with him" (Vietnamese folk proverb), which also describes the plight of the overthrown leader Gaddafi. To this day, the assets of the dictator who ruled Libya for 42 years remain a hot topic, and the suspicion that Gaddafi may have left behind a treasure before fleeing continues to draw many parties into the discussion.
Despite being the youngest son in a peasant family with little inheritance, Colonel Gaddafi's 42 years in the highest position of power in a country of 6 million people with abundant oil resources meant his wealth would make even the world's top billionaires bow in admiration: Gaddafi's total assets were estimated at around $200 billion.
Meanwhile, according to Forbes magazine, among the most recent list of the world's 10 richest billionaires (2012), the top three are: Mexican media mogul Carlos Slim Helu, who maintained his title as the world's richest person for the fourth consecutive year with his wealth increasing by $4 billion compared to 2011, reaching $73 billion; followed by Bill Gates, whose wealth increased by $6 billion in 2012, currently possessing a fortune of $67 billion, making him the second richest person in the world; and the wealth of Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega, the third richest person, at $57 billion.
This comparison shows that some of Gaddafi's previously outrageous statements had their logic: "I am an international leader, the leader of Arab leaders, king of African kings, and leader of Islam. My international standing does not allow me to be in a lower position." (Said after the Arab summit in Qatar).
Gaddafi was officially overthrown in late August 2011 and killed by rebel forces on October 20, 2011, in Sirte, Libya. Reports currently circulate that Gaddafi disposed of a massive amount of gold, diamonds, and cash before fleeing. Therefore, for many years, not only the people but also officials in the country have been caught up in the fantasy of searching for Gaddafi's hidden treasure, estimated to be worth up to $10 billion. According to some sources, Gaddafi hid this treasure during his escape, in a neighboring country, most likely South Africa.
Libya's overthrown leader – Gaddafi.
Therefore, Tim Harris, spokesperson for the Democratic Alliance Party, recently wrote to Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, requesting a full investigation into any Libyan assets (if any) that may have been transferred to South Africa. Harris then requested that South Africa provide the UN with documents related to Libyan assets and persistently pursue the gold miners and other opportunistic treasure hunters.
In response, Mr. Gordhan stated that the Libyan government was only making normal commercial investments in South Africa. During a meeting with Libyan Prime Minister Usama al-Abid, Mr. Gordhan affirmed that if South Africa found Gaddafi's treasure, they would inform the United Nations. Not only the people, or the post-Gaddafi regimes, but even the United Nations were not indifferent to this enormous fortune. In 2011, the UN established a committee to search for the vast assets believed to have been acquired by Gaddafi.
The search has been ongoing for over two years, and now it has been reignited into an equally fierce race. Public opinion is still waiting to see the truth of this matter. As for Gaddafi's true nature, everyone surely understands it now; few people still believe his famous quote, "There is no democracy on the planet except Libya."
Chi Linh Son
