LONDON (AP) – Two Libyan analysts say another member of Libyan Dictator Moammar Gadhafi’s regime has defected.

Norman Benotman, a Libyan analyst in London who was in contact with friends and family of Sassi Garada, one of the first men to join Gadhafi when he took power more than 40 years ago, said Monday he left Libya through Tunisia.

Guma el-Gamaty, U.K. organizer for Libya’s Interim Council, also confirmed the defection.

There were initial reports Garada fled to Britain, where he has several family members, but Benotman says Garada is in Switzerland.

British officials say they could not confirm Garada was in the U.K. Swiss Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Carole Waelti says the government was “not aware of the possible presence of Mr. Garada in Switzerland."
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