Suha Arafat denies Gaddafi paid for her Malta home

Suha Arafat, the widow of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, yesterday denied international press reports that she is living here in a residence bought for her by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper reported on Wednesday that Col Gaddafi had purchased a $1.5 million residence in Valletta for Mrs Arafat and even assigned a three-guard security detail to protect her and her 13-year-old daughter Zahwa accompanying her.

Contacted yesterday, Mrs Arafat laughed off the news, saying she would have had no problem confirming had it been true. "There would have been nothing wrong had Col Gaddafi done something of the sort but it is just not the case," she said even dismissing the idea that she was being protected by Libyan guards.

"These sort of stories are simply attempts at character assassination and it's really terrible when you're a widow to have to fight these lies," she said.

Just last August, she had been in the headlines after the Tunisian authorities mysteriously stripped her of her citizenship. She had been living there ever since her husband died in 2004 but ended up in Malta after leaving what till then appeared to be her new-found home.

She has been here ever since, living in a residence she is renting from a "well known Maltese family", as Mrs Arafat herself put it.

Asked whether she had been in contact with the Libyan leader, she said she has kept in touch with all leaders and heads of state who were friends of her late husband.

"Just last month I was in Libya with Col Gaddafi for a ceremony in honour of my husband... but this story is just not true. It is all invented."

Asked about the revocation of her Tunisian citizenship, which remains officially unexplained, she said she did not really know why the Tunisians acted the way they did.

"I left Tunisia voluntarily," she stressed, pointing out that she had already been out of the country when her citizenship was revoked, "but then my citizenship was revoked... perhaps you won't believe me but I myself don't really know why they acted that way. I guess you should ask them."

For the time being, at least, the new arrangement in Malta seems to suit her just fine. The place is great, she emphasised, praising the peace and democracy enjoyed in Malta.

"You really don't appreciate these things until you lose them and you Maltese should really be thankful for what you have. Many around the world hope they can one day live this sort of life.

"My daughter loves it. I love it and for the time being I hope I don't need to change things."