Article by Franco Aloisio - Gaddafi opponents lived in murder victims house
By Franco Aloisio
Sunday 12th October 1997
Opponents of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, including Libyan dissident Najib al Harari, who was arrested in Malta last year and latter granted political asylum in Sweden, used to live in the Sliema guesthouse owned by Peter Jones, who was found murdered in his penthouse last Friday.
While under arrest, Al Harari told the police that Malta was considered an ideal working base by Col. Gadaffi's opponents. Sources say that Mr. Jones guesthouse in 51 Borg Olivier Street and another guesthouse in Graham Street, also in Sliema, were habitually used by Libyan nationals, including Harari. Two Libyans and a Maltese national are helping police with their investigations in the Sliema murder. The police would not confirm this information.
Two weeks ago the Malta Independent revealed that al Harari was a member of the "Anti-Gadaffi Front" to which Islamic Jihad leader Fathi Shqaqi, murdered in Sliema in 1995 also belonged.
Sources close to the police say that the Libyan national Amer Hisham Ali Mohammed, brutally torturted and murdered in Tigne last year, was a close friend of Al Harari and both shared Mr. Jones guesthouse in Sliema. Amer, also a member of the "Anti-Gadaffi Front", was terrified to return to Libya, the sources say.
It has been learnt that Al Harari entered Malta on five different occasions in 1996 using a false passport, before being arrested in July that same year. Police sources say that on many occasions Al Harari resided in Mr. Jones guesthouse. In the beginning of 1996, Al Harari left Libya on his way to Malta, claiming his life was in danger as he overtly opposed Col. Gadaffi's brand of Islamic socialism. An Islamic fundamentalist, Al Harari left Malta in February 1996 and went to Morocco, returning to Malta a few weeks later. He went went to Tunisia, returning to Malta soon after. In April 1996 he returned to Morocco, later flying to Sudan.
His final destination was Malta, where he was arrested in July. Libya had asked Maltese authorities for Al Harari's extradition. he claimed his life would be in danger and was later granted political asylum in Sweden, where he is now staying