London: Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was captured by US forces after he was betrayed by a relative, who was one of his closest bodyguards.

"After eight months on the run, the hiding place of the ousted Iraqi leader was given away by an aide known as 'The Fat Man'," the BBC reported.

Saddam's "loyal lieutenant" Mohammed Ibrahim Omar al-Musslit gave away the secret after being arrested and interrogated, it said in its television show 'Panaroma', scheduled to be aired tomorrow (March 28, 2004).

Saddam was finally caught on December 13 near his hometown Tikrit.

Musslit, who was arrested in Baghdad, did not willingly offer the information. Therefore, he will not benefit from the $ 25 million reward that was on offer, BBC said.

Musslit was one of the people who accompanied the Iraqi leader as he fled Baghdad when US troops entered the city on April 9, 2003. "He (Musslit) was quickly broken by interrogators after being captured in Baghdad (in December 2003), and led the American troops to his boss just hours after being arrested," the BBC said.

After his arrest, Musslit was flown to Tikrit where he was interrogated. He was then made to point out the remote farm where Saddam Hussein was hiding.

The US has never revealed the identity of the person who led them to Saddam on December 13, 2003.

Senior US Commander Maj Gen Ray Odlerno denied the source had been tortured but told BBC that the man was a "shady character". Odlerno also said he believed "the US Treasury gets to keep the money.