Thursday, 9th October 2008 - 18:03CET

Libya halts crude supplies to Switzerland

Libya has halted deliveries of crude oil to Switzerland, Libyan oil refining and distribution firm Tamoil said, three months after a diplomatic spat broke out between the two countries.

"In light of recent media reports, Tamoil would like to confirm we have been advised that the supply of Libyan crude oil to Switzerland has been suspended," Tamoil said in a statement read to Reuters by its Chief Executive Issam Zanati.

"The deliveries of Libyan crude oil to Tamoil refineries in Italy and Germany are not affected." Zanati declined to elaborate and did not say when deliveries might resume.

OPEC member Libya threatened to cut Swiss crude deliveries after a son of its leader Muammar Gaddafi was arrested in Geneva on July 15 and charged with mistreating two domestic employees before being freed on bail. The Swiss prosecutor later said he had dropped the case.