Minister Ignazio La Russa's remarks to reporters in Sicily Sunday, carried by the Italian news agency ANSA, was the first official confirmation that Abdel-Salam Jalloud had arrived in Italy.
He didn't say where Jalloud was staying. Libyan rebels said Friday that Jalloud had defected, a blow for Gadhafi's embattled regime.
Jalloud helped Gadhafi come to power in a 1969 coup and for decades travelled the world representing Tripoli. He started clashing with Gadhafi in the 1990s.
Italian media have reported that Jalloud first fled to Tunisia, then to Italy on Saturday.
Italian officials initially declined to comment on Jalloud's whereabouts.
Published 21 August 2011, 11:39 IST