According to the Bild newspaper, the German Foreign Ministry received an official application for the high-tech ankle shackles from the new Libyan leadership several weeks ago.

The Foreign Ministry reportedly considers the application a chance to engage in trade with Libya after the toppling of dictator Muammar Qaddafi.

But the ministry refused to answer any direct questions on the application.

“The German government is in continual contact with the transitional council and the interim government on how best to support the transition to democracy, economic recovery, the treatment of the injured, and the rebuilding of functioning state institutions,” a ministry spokeswoman told the paper.

Electronic ankle monitors – wristwatch-sized transmitters fitted to a convicted criminal’s ankle – are considered a viable alternative to prison sentences or a useful device during parole periods.

The tags transmit signals 24 hours a day to a data box in the criminal’s home, from where data is transmitted to a central control centre. Police officers in the centre can then see whether the criminal is staying in a designated area or not. An alarm is tripped if anyone attempts to tamper with the monitors or leave the designated area.

Ankle monitors have been in use in the United States since 2007 and in some German states since earlier this year.

The Local/bk