By Ajnadin Mustafa.
Tripoli, 22 November 2015:
A bitter dispute over claims and counter claims of corruption has surfaced at Libya’s Khartoum embassy.
Earlier . . .[restrict]this week, the head of the finance at the embassy in Mashtal Street, Mawlud Ali Duaib, was reported saying that on Tuesday, after he had left the office in the afternoon, other members of staff broke into it and into the safe and removed some $900,000 in dollars, euros and Sudanese pounds. Also allegedly missing were documents.
The reason given for the the large amount of cash being held at the embassy – €300,000, $200,000 and 1.8 million Sudanese pounds – was that its was difficult getting international transfers through the Sudanese banking system.
Responding to the allegations, the chargé d’affaires at the embassy, Salem Fagie, has put out a statement claiming that Duaib had been sacked for not paying staff and being absent from work without explanation, but had refused to hand over to his assistant, and that a committee had been set up to sort out matters. In an embassy-headed letter purportedly sent to the deputy finance minister explaining the situation and seen by the Libya Herald, he accused Duaib of corruption, adding that when the office was inspected, monies said by Duaib to have been in the safe were not there.
Allegations were also made against the former ambassador, Mohamed Solah.
At present, it is not known which side of the story is true.
The embassy is also said to have been split over loyalties to the House of Representatives in Tobruk and the General National Congress in Tripoli. [/restrict]
