ALGIERS: Algeria must hand over to Libya’s new authorities anyone close to ousted ruler Moammar Gadhafi whose involvement in crimes is proven, Libyan former Foreign Minister and defector Abdel Rahman Shalgam said Friday.

“Personally, I understand Algeria’s decision” to take in some members of Gadhafi’s family, which has been criticized by Libya’s National Transitional Council, Shalgam told the daily Echorouk. “But if any of those people are staying in Algeria when they have committed crimes or are guilty of embezzlement, Algeria should turn them over” to the NTC, Shalgam said.

“That’s the best way to end the fuss surrounding this affair,” he added.

Algeria Tuesday gave refuge to three of Gadhafi’s children – Aisha, who gave birth to a baby girl that same day, Mohammad and Hannibal – as well as Safiya, the second wife of the toppled leader.

The NTC, which is the political arm of the Libyan rebels, Tuesday said that Algeria’s action was “very imprudent” and against the interests of the Libyan people. The Algiers government declared that it had taken in Gadhafi’s family members for “strictly humanitarian reasons.”

“Relations between Algeria and the new Libya will be excellent,” Shalgam told the Arabic-language daily. “The Libyans believed the Algerian army would be at their side … but the official position of Algeria was not up to expectations … although President Abdelaziz Bouteflika enormously respects the Libyan people.”

Algeria adopted a less ambiguous stance Thursday by announcing at an international meet in Paris that it was ready to recognize Libya’s transitional authorities and completely ruled out allowing Gadhafi to cross the border.

According to the Algerian daily Al-Watan’s online edition Wednesday, Gadhafi has tried to negotiate with Algerian authorities to enter the country from a Libyan border town where he is holed up after the NTC seized Tripoli.

Algeria’s Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci told Europe 1 radio Thursday that Libya’s NTC had vowed to set up a “government representative of all regions,” and added: “When it has done so, we’ll recognize it.”

A former foreign minister, Shalgam defected in March while he was Libya’s representative to the United Nations.