Libyan authorities asked on Monday for an Arab League investigation into Saudi Arabia’s accusations that Tripoli was involved in a plot to assassinate Saudi Crown Prince ‘Abdallah Bin ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz, reports the Libyan news agency JANA.
According to the report, Libya’s Foreign Minister ‘Abd A-Rahman Shalqam called Arab League Secretary General ‘Amru Mousa, stressing “the need to clarify the truth in that case.”
This Libyan move comes following Saudi Arabia’s announcement last week that it will withdraw its ambassador from Tripoli and expel the Libyan envoy from Riyadh in response to the alleged assassination plan, reports the Tehran Times.
“The Saudi move came as a surprise and at a time when nothing had happened between our two countries necessitating such a measure,” said the Libyan Foreign Ministry.
The scandal began in October 2004, when a U.S. court convicted an American for illegal financial dealings with Libya and for his involvement in a Libyan plot to kill Saudi Arabia’s crown prince. Libya firmly denied any such plot.