The French website Africa Intelligence says that Libya's former regime struck a deal with the Italian consulting company (IRD Engineering) worth 670,000 euros to supervise the maintenance of the Derna dams before a diplomatic crisis between Libya and Switzerland in 2008 cancelled the contract.
The process was due to take 60 months based on a preliminary report prepared by two Swiss companies - Stucki SA and Norbert SA-for IRD Engineering.
However, a diplomatic spat between Libya and Switzerland in 2008 forced Stucki SA to close its office in Tripoli and leave the country.
The conflict began when Hannibal Gaddafi and his wife were arrested in Geneva in July 2008 on charges of physically assaulting two domestic employees while staying at a luxury hotel.
The detention of the couple sparked a two-year-long discord, prompting Libya to halt oil supplies, withdraw billions of dollars from Swiss banks, block visas to Swiss citizens, and recall several of its diplomats.
