BOV cards found in Muatassim Gaddafi’s wallet

The gold and platinum Bank of Valletta Visa cards, both bearing the name ‘Dr Muatasmbllah Abumi’ were confirmed to belong to Muatassim Gaddafi, under an abbreviated alias of the uncommonly used Muatassim-Billah Abuminyar Muammar (son of Muammar).

The cards, together with other personal objects, were taken off Muatassim by the Misurata fighters who captured him and his father Col. Gaddafi as they attempted to escape from Sirte on 20 October.

The cards – issued by BOV last year and expire in 2013 – also revealed information on Muatassim’s financial ties in Malta.

Embossed beneath Muatassim’s name was the company’s account name – Capital Resources Ltd.

When contacted, a Bank of Valletta spokesman declined to comment, adding that “the bank is not in a position to reply in view of its obligation of professional secrecy”.

Bank of Valletta declined to comment on whether any transactions were made by using the cards throughout the eight months of the Libyan revolution while Muatassim was on the run, and supposedly his assets frozen under United Nations and European Union sanctions. 

Last year, the New York Post revealed that Muatassim Gaddafi was client to former Labour Party treasurer Joe Sammut, an auditor and financial advisor from Mosta.

Sammut reportedly handled hundreds of thousands of dollars on behalf of Muatassim Gaddafi, and was said to be involved in organising parties featuring Snoop Dog, Nelly Furtado, and Enrique Iglesias (among others), for the entertainment of Gaddafi’s sons.

Contacted by MaltaToday, Joe Sammut refused to say if he was involved in the setting up of Capital Resources Ltd, and whether he handled the BOV accounts for Muatassim while he was on the run.

Sammut insisted that he had nothing to say: “I am bound by professional secrecy not to say anything.”

Muatassim’s bank cards, together with the rest of his wallet, an iPod, six Viagra tablets and some cannabis resin which were found inside his bag, remain in the hands of the rebel fighters in Misurata.

Meanwhile, MaltaToday is reliably informed that rebels are also in the possession of Hannibal and Mohammed Gaddafi’s mobile phones, which were said to have been found abandoned inside their plush homes in Tripoli as they fled.

Hannibal is said to have had Maltese contacts on his phone book, while Mohammed had two BOV numbers in Malta and another to the BOV Tripoli branch.