Updated 1200 - Former Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan did not ask for political asylum when he arrived in Malta late yesterday, government sources said today.

Zeidan arrived in Malta on a private jet at about 8 p.m., hours after the Libyan Parliament ousted him and the Libyan interior ministry imposed a travel ban.

The possibility that he had sought political asylum was raised by l-orizzont newspaper this morning.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on TVAM early this morning that Mr Zeidan was in Malta for a two-hour 'refuelling stop' and then left for another European country.

However his aircraft took off for Tripoli at about 10.15 a.m. and he was not on it.

Sources said Zeidan left Malta at about 10 p.m. on a Maltese private jet bound for Germany. 

The Al Arabiya news agency has also been reporting that Mr Zeidan has arrived in Dusseldorf.

In Libya the state prosecutor said he had banned him from travelling abroad while he is under investigation. Zeidan will be investigated for alleged financial corruption and other irregularities, Abdel-Qader Radwan told Reuters and Libya's al-Ahrar television.

Zeidan also flew unexpectedly to Malta last month while on a flight from Switzerland. It had been initially reported that he had come here for security reasons. Technical reasons were later cited.