Gadhafi diplomats leave files in Canada

OTTAWA, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Libyan diplomats loyal to Moammar Gadhafi who were ousted from Canada earlier this year left behind boxes of government files, expatriates said.

Mustafa Shakshouki, a spokesman with the Libyan Canadian Association, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. unidentified people who have been in the diplomats' vacant $7 mansion since the last employees left earlier this month reported seeing the files.

"It's the property of Libya," he said. "We hope everything is still there. If there [are] documents, computers, anything that would help to track what the regime was doing here, we'd love to see that."

In February, rebels in Libya took up arms to try and end Gadhafi's 42-year-long dictatorship. Their cause was widely embraced internationally when Gadhafi turned his military against civilians.

The Canadian government was one of many that expelled Libyan diplomats.

Another member of the Libyan Canadian Association, Salah Dau, told the CBC there would likely be some shocks in documents left behind.

"It hurts you when your own brother wrote a report about you," Dau said. "But still you would like to know who wrote about you. Let the truth come out."

Libya's National Transitional Council announced last week Abubaker Karmos would soon be installed as the country's new ambassador to Canada.