The trial of Muammar Gaddafi’s last prime minister Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmudi, accused of aiding the state to kill civilians and financial crimes, opened in a Libyan court yesterday.

Charges included ‘committing acts aiming to unjustly kill people’

A judge read out the charges against Mahmudi, which included “abusing public funds” and “committing acts aiming to unjustly kill people” during the 2011 uprising that toppled Gaddafi.

The highest-ranking former regime official to go before Libyan judges sat in a caged section of the courtroom and spoke only once during the one-hour hearing, saying “yes” when asked to confirm his presence.

Along with Seif al-Islam, the toppled dictator’s most high-profile son, Mahmudi is one of the few remaining keepers of the many state secrets under Gaddafi, who was killed on October 20 last year.

A physician by training, Mahmudi was loyal to Gaddafi until the end, serving as premier from 2006 up to the final days of his regime, while also overseeing vast fortunes in the oil-rich nation. Dressed in a traditional white robe, he sat alongside co-defendants Al-Mabruk Zahmul and Amer Saleh Tirfas, who managed a trade and investment company run by Seif al-Islam.

Mahmudi made a brief court appearance on November 12 but the start of the trial was adjourned at the request of the prosecution and defence lawyers due to the absence of his co-defendants.

Mahmudi, Zahmul and Tirfas allegedly funnelled €19 million to private accounts in Tunisia, with the money used for logistical support to former regime forces as they sought to crush last year’s revolt.

At the request of the defence team, the court decided on Monday to create a panel of expert accountants to review irregular financial transactions and locate missing state funds.

The defence also put forward a list of witnesses, which included some former regime figures who are jailed and others who are wanted by the new authorities.

A new hearing was set for January 14, 2013.