Tunisia extradites former Gaddafi PM to Libya

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Tunisia extradited deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's former prime minister on Sunday, making him the first senior official to be returned for trial under Libya's transitional leadership.

Libyan interim Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib told reporters on Sunday that the Justice Ministry was holding Al Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi in prison.

"The suspect is in the custody of the judicial police as per an arrest warrant ordered by the prosecutor general's office charging him with committing crimes against the Libyan people," said Keib.

A spokesman for Tunisian President Moncef al-Marzouki said the president had not authorized any such handover.

"The president did not sign any documents authorizing the handover of Baghdadi and he said that if the information about the handover is confirmed, it is up to the prime minister's office to assume responsibility because this happened without the approval of the president," the spokesman said in a statement posted on Marzouki's official Facebook page.

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