GENEVA (Thomson Financial) - Libya has shut the local offices of Swiss food group Nestle and engineering firm ABB and detained officials of both following the arrest in Switzerland of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's son, reports said Wednesday.
The Swiss ATS news agency said the sole representative of Nestle in Libya, an Egyptian national, was held for several hours, while an ABB press release said the company 'confirms that a Swiss employee is currently being detained by the Libyan authorities.'
'The ABB office in Tripoli has been temporarily closed,' the statement added.
'ABB is working closely with the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek a rapid resolution of the issue. Given the current situation, ABB will not be providing any further information.'
Switzerland earlier Wednesday charged Libya with taking 'retaliatory measures' against its nationals, a week after Swiss authorities arrested Hannibal Kadhafi.
Kadhafi, 32, was released on bail after being accused of assaulting staff at a Geneva hotel on July 15.
The Swiss foreign ministry said Wednesday it had sent a diplomatic team to Tripoli on Wednesday 'to give explanations to the Libyan authorities' on the arrest.
It said Libya on July 17 put 'retaliatory measures' in place against Switzerland, recalling the Libyan envoy in Switzerland, suspended the issuing of visas to Swiss citizens, reducing air links and ordering Swiss businesses to be closed.
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