By Hadi Fornaji.
Tripoli, 10 August:
SNE Special Projects, the British . . .[restrict]risk-management firm, has suspended its security operations in Libya due to the restrictions in place under Decree 248, which requires all foreign security companies to be licensed and significantly strengthens entry criteria.
Rumours had been aired in the Arabic press that the company was operating without a licence, after an accusation to that effect was made by Colonel Mustafa Noah, the head of Tripoli Military Council, earlier this week.
Jason Woods, Managing Director of SNE Special Projects, told the Libya Herald that the company had closed down its offices in Tripoli and Benghazi and only one employee remained in the country, “doing minor consultancy work”.
“At present our Libyan lawyer is working on the registration of a new company for us, which will enable us to work within the new laws and continue to support our international clients in Libya in the future”, said Woods.
Controversy has surrounded the work of foreign security companies in Libya in recent months. In May G4S, another British firm, was given a contract to protect the European Union mission in Libya, despite having no authorisation from the NTC. A statement was later released by the Foreign Ministry stating that G4S “is not welcome in the country”.
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