Emails from 2011 indicate Epstein was discussing plans to exploit turmoil in Libya to access hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of frozen assets.
Newly released information, as part of a US Department of Justice investigation, claims that convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein planned to access frozen Libyan state assets through UK and Israeli intelligence officials.
In an email sent by one of Epstein’s associates in July 2011, a plan is discussed to exploit “political and economic turmoil” in the country, in an apparent bid to seize Libyan funds frozen in Western countries.
The assets are believed to amount to around $80 billion, but an email chain, released on Friday, describes the actual figure as potentially being valued at three or four times that amount.
“If we can identify/recover 5 percent to 10 percent of these monies and receive 10 percent to 25 percent as compensation we are talking about billions of dollars,” the e-mail states.
Epstein argued that Libya, which was going through political and economic turmoil at the time amid an uprising against dictator Muammar Gaddafi, served as a strategic opportunity for financial and legal investments.
The sender of the emails also alleged that former members of the UK’s foreign intelligence service, MI6, and the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, were willing to help with efforts to recover the “stolen assets”.
“The real carrot is if we can become their go-to guys because they plan to spend at least $100 billion next year to rebuild their country and jump start the economy,” the e-mail went on to say.
The emails also claimed negotiations with international law firms were being held about payments if they won the bid to seize the Libyan funds.
It is not clear from the documents whether Epstein’s efforts to access the assets progressed or if steps went beyond the planning stages noted in the emails.
The information comes as Libya is still struggling to recover funds which have been frozen in Western countries due to sanctions imposed on Gaddafi’s regime, based on the UN Security Council Resolution in 1973.
Last year, the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity formed a legal committee to follow up on the issue of the frozen overseas assets.
This comes after several countries filed lawsuits attempting to seize part of the funds, stating it was compensation for investments disrupted in Libya due to ongoing conflict and turmoil.
