Four French employees of a private security company, who were detained by police in the Libyan city of Benghazi on May 11, in an operation in which their boss was shot dead, have been released, the French government announced Saturday.
In a short statement, the Foreign Ministry said the four had been escorted to the border with Egypt, where they had been handed over to French consular officials, dpa reported.
The men were working for a private security firm, Secopex, which is based in Carcassonne, south-western France.
Company founder Pierre Marziali was shot by police during the arrest operation and later died in hospital.
On its website Secopex says it offers VIP protection and military training to national armies and presidential guards, among other groups.
In an interview with Liberation daily the company's vice-president Robert Dulas admitted the company had been in contact with Moamer Gaddafi's regime but rejected allegations of spying on its behalf.
Dulas said Secopex had been in touch with the rebel-led Transitional National Council in Benghazi about setting up a safe corridor between Cairo and Benghazi "for businessmen, journalists, etc."
He also said the council had also asked Secopex for training and that French authorities had given the "amber light" for the operation.