‘Gaddafi’s son and model wife in London hotel incident’

LONDON - Police were called to an upscale London hotel on Christmas Day after one of Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi’s sons was involved in what the hotel called a domestic incident, according to reports Wednesday.

Moutassim Gaddafi - also known as Hannibal - was staying with his wife, the model Aline Skaf, and their children in a luxury suite at Claridge’s hotel when police were called after hotel staff heard a woman’s scream for help.

Police arrested three of his security staff for obstructing police officers and later released them without charge, The Daily Mail reported.

Gaddafi was reportedly escorted out in a car from the Libyan embassy while his 29-year-old wife was taken by ambulance to hospital with facial injuries.

She later said her injuries were accidental, and the result of a fall.

A Claridge’s spokesman told The Daily Mail: I can confirm there was a domestic incident between some guests at Claridge’s on Christmas morning and it was dealt with through normal channels by our security. The police also attended.

We cannot comment on the identity of any of our guests and they have since checked out.

Scotland Yard confirmed officers and an ambulance were called to Claridge’s. A spokesman said: A woman was taken to hospital suffering facial injuries. Three people were arrested in connection with the incident and taken to a central London police station.

Hannibal Gaddafi and his wife were arrested in July last year by Swiss police for allegedly beating up their servants in a Geneva hotel. The Swiss government later apologised.

He was also arrested in 2005 at a Paris hotel for allegedly punching Skaf, then his girlfriend, who was eight months pregnant. He was later given a four-month suspended prison sentence and a 350 pound fine for assault.

Hannibal is the fifth of the Libyan president’s eight children.

The newspaper said Colonel Gaddafi favours his oldest son from his second marriage, Saif al-Islam, to succeed him. He is described as a suave and urbane 37-year-old, who was educated at the London School of Economics and counts Prince Andrew among his friends.