He seemed not to have been harmed, and added to confusion over the reasons for his being taken away by saying that two "revolutionary brigades" were believed to be responsible - the "Operations Room of Revolutionaries" and the "Brigade for the Fight against Crime".

Both theoretically are under government control, and told local reporters he had been arrested for alleged bribery on orders from the justice minister and the chief prosecutor, a claim they denied.

One said he faced charges of corruption and breaching state security, though the other also referred to a statement by John Kerry, the US secretary of state, that the Libyan authorities had been aware in advance of the American capture at the weekend of Abu Anas al-Libi, who is wanted for trial in New York.

Staff at the hotel, where he had been living because of previous threats, said the militias had arrived to "arrest" Mr Zeidan and that there had been no trouble. A photograph apparently provided by the militias themselves and posted on the Al-Arabiya website showed a confused Mr Zeidan, without his trademark spectacles, in what appeared to be night-clothes.

"The head of the transitional government, Ali Zeidan, was taken to an unknown destination for unknown reasons," a government statement posted on the prime minister's Facebook site said. Officials said an earlier statement denying the kidnapping had been posted at the same place on the kidnappers' instructions.

FULL STORY: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/liby...