Gadhafi son under house arrest in Niger

Saadi Gadhafi. AP FILE PHOTO

WASHINGTON — Fallen Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi’s son Saadi, who arrived in Niger at the weekend, is being held under house arrest at a government residence, the US State Department said on Tuesday.

“Our understanding is, like the others, he’s being detained in a stae guest house and that it is appropriate that Niger and the TNC work through this together,” spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters in Washington, referring to the National Transitional Council, Libya’s interim government.

“It’s essentially a house arrest in this government facility, is our understanding,” she said.

Saadi, 38, the third of Gadhafi’s seven sons, arrived in Niger, one of the west African countries that benefited the most from Gadhafi’s
largesse, on Sunday in a convoy alongside other members of the toppled regime.

Seen wasas something of a playboy, Saadi was hired in 2003 to play for Italian first division football club Perugia but barely kicked a ball when he was suspended after testing positive for nandrolone, an anabolic steroid.

He renounced his football career the following year to join the Libyan army, where he led an elite unit.