Updated:
St James Hospital insisted this afternoon that it was the sole investor in St James Clinic in Tripoli.
Earlier today, a US diplomatic cable, issued by Wikileaks, said that one of the daughters of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was reported to have a financial interest in the Maltese-owned St James clinic in Tripoli.
When contacted, St James Hospital chairman Josie Muscat said: “we are the sole investors in Libya. It would be interesting to know from where the correspondent got his information.”
He had no further comments to make.
The cable, issued in Tripoli and also copied to the US embassy in Malta, discusses the financial interests of Gaddafi's family.
"Aisha (Gaddafi) is also reported to have financial interests in the private St. James Clinic of Tripoli, one of the two most trustworthy medical facilities that supplement the unreliable health care available through public facilities in addition to health care management and referrals to hospitals to Malta and elsewhere in Europe, the clinic has an extensive aesthetic surgery practice."
The cable refers to Aisha Muammar Gaddafi, a lawyer, who, it says, competes with Saif Gaddafi on Charitable Activities and Broad Commercial Interests.
"Dr. Aisha Muammar Al-Qadhafi, General Secretary of the Wa’atassemo Charity Society, is patron of the December 4-7, 2006 Infrastructure Libya: The International Exhibition and Forum for Libya’s Infrastructure and Economic Development implemented by the UK conference organizer Montgomery and Associates.
"Also listed as cooperating organizations are the General People’s Committee for Planning, the General Board of Infrastructure and Urban Development, and the Inspector General of Housing and Utilities. At the same time, there will be a U.S.-Libya Oil, Gas and Energy Exhibition and Forum at the same International Fairgrounds, also under Wa’atassemo sponsorship, and coordinated by U.S. company Nathan and Associates.
" Until recently, Aisha has been in the public eye based on charitable activities, sponsoring human rights seminars and the situation in Iraq (with a distinct focus on the negative effects of the presence of U.S. and foreign troops), signing up for the international advisory board for Saddam Hussein’s defense strategy, and promoting social welfare for women and children. She now appears to be branching out into areas that will give her more direct connections with the energy and construction sectors, especially since the government has announced that housing development will the major focus of the 2006 budget distributions.
"XXXXXXXXXXXX said that Aisha was actively looking to branch out into other areas, perhaps because of her recent marriage to a Qadhaf al-Dam with additional business interests.
"Aisha is also reported to have financial interests in the private St. James Clinic of Tripoli, one of the two most trustworthy medical facilities that supplement the unreliable health care available through public facilities in addition to health care management and referrals to hospitals to Malta and elsewhere in Europe, the clinic has an extensive aesthetic surgery practice."
http://www.wikileaks.ch/cable/2006/05/06TRIPOLI198.html