During the tumultuous days of the Libyan revolution, Mustafa Abdul Jalil had a bounty of $400,000 on his head, promised to anyone who captured him dead of alive.
In Malta for the launch of the book Gonzi and Malta’s Break With Gaddafi, Mr Jalil speaks calmly and almost without any emotion about the war waged against Muammar Gaddafi and his regime.
“I was never a Gaddafi man even though I served for four years as his Justice Minister. My relationship was with his son Saif al-Islam and never in my career did I meet him [Gaddafi] personally.”
Describing his promotion from judge to minister as “a move of convenience” by Gaddafi to try to look good with the Eastern part of the country – which incidentally ignited the revolution – Mr Jalil said he spent his years at the ministry distributing some $2.7 billion to people who had suffered injustices under the long years of the Gaddafi regime.
“It was a time when Gaddafi was trying to appease many people to look good and minimise the growing popular sentiment against his regime. I took the opportunity to provide justice to a lot of people without resorting to corruption.
“The latter was already an achievement in itself as corruption in Libya was the order of the day.”
When the Arab Spring began at the beginning of 2011 and Tunisia was ousting Col Gaddafi’s friend, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Mr Jalil did not think twice to start his own fight.
Putting together the National Transition Council, Mr Jalil gathered allies as the days of Col Gaddafi were starting to come to an end with city after city turning against him.
“It was a difficult time but we knew what we were doing. With the help of our international partners, including Malta, we were determined that our time had come and the end of Gaddafi was close.
As a former judge, I wish Gaddafi had been given the chance to defend himself
“Malta played a very important role particularly where it comes to the humanitarian aspect,” Mr Jalil recalled.
“However, even politically, Malta took a step which changed the rules of the game.”
Referring to the incident when two Libyan Air Force pilots defied Col Gaddafi’s instructions to drop bombs on his own people and flew to Malta, Mr Jalil said this was a definite message that “Malta was on our side.”
“I know that Gaddafi at the time had offered Malta to keep the two planes and return the pilots.
“Malta told Gaddafi ‘no’ and we understood that Malta was behind us.” After the fall of Tripoli, Col Gaddafi fled to his few remaining strongholds scattered in the Libyan dessert together with hundreds of fighters. It took months before Col Gaddafi was hunted down.
However, despite the apparent jubilation, Mr Jalil was a sad man.
“I didn’t want Gaddafi to end up executed there and then. We wanted Gaddafi to face justice like any other human being. We wanted to know all the secrets of his regime. As a former judge, I wish he had been given the chance to defend himself.”
However, when Col Gaddafi was captured Mr Jalil and his colleagues at the NTC had little or no control over the situation. Col Gaddafi was shot on the spot.
Col Gaddafi’s name will remain notorious with many episodes, especially the Lockerbie bombing.
Despite fresh claims to the contrary, Mr Jalil believes it was Col Gaddafi who ordered the bombing and that Abdelbaset al Megrahi, the only man ever convicted for the atrocity, was the mind behind it.
“I have proof that Gaddafi was behind all of this. The al Megrahi family was paid $150,000 a month and there was a special government budget for this.
“From what I understood when I was a minister, the al Megrahi case was a top secret issue and the regime was very keen to bring him back to Libya.”
According to Mr Jalil, that is now in the past and Libya must look to the future.
Despite Libya’s revolution being been long over, the situation on the ground remains chaotic.
“This is a normal process and happens after every revolution, even though in Libya this has taken longer,” he said.
According to Mr Jalil, the solution is two pronged.
“First of all we need to collect all the weapons and dismantle them. We either have to buy the weapons from the people or somehow get them back – this is crucial,” he said.
“Secondly – local councils need to be given more power and resources. If this is done Libya will be one of the pioneering states in Africa.”
Mr Jalil is of the opinion that Libya will not be divided into two or more separate countries.
“In 10 years’ time, Libya will remain one country and will be a thriving democracy. This is not a wish. I am sure this is our future.”
Mr Jalil was invited to Malta by the Kite Group.