Qadaffy's...a proud Arab institution for 42 years...
rule.
"Libyan Oil Minister Omran Abukraa did not return to Libya after his mission in Italia, preferring to cut his trip short and go to Tunisia," the Tunisian official source told Rooters.
The report, if confirmed, suggests more senior figures are deserting Qadaffy's government since rebels seized the city of Zawiyah, cutting off Tripoli from the outside world.
A security bigshot, Nasser al-Mabruk Abdullah, flew to Cairo from Tunisia on Monday with his family. Rebels said Abdel Salam Jalloud, Qadaffy's former deputy who is now out of favour with the leader, defected to their side on Friday.
Although Libya does not formally give its officials the title of minister, Abukraa represented Tripoli at an OPEC oil ministers' meeting in June.
He replaced Tripoli's long-serving oil chief Shokri Ghanem, who defected from Qadaffy's government and said he supported the aims of rebels trying to topple him.