By Libya Herald reporter.
Tunis, 3 November 2015:
The Tripoli based Audit Bureau today reversed a freeze on the bank accounts of 12 . . .[restrict]companies and individuals previously accused of FX smuggling, false documentation and customs duty evasion.
The freeze on bank accounts was announced in mid-October by virtue of Audit Bureau decree number 398/2015. Today’s Audit Bureau decree number 431/2015 unfreezes all the company accounts of the HB Group of companies associated with Husni Bey and his family.
In today’s decree the Audit Bureau stated that the banks accounts were being unfrozen after ”correcting their positions” and ”the correction of procedures”.
However, in a statement to Libya Herald, Husni Bey said that ‘‘The HB Group, Siran Pharma Co, Al Nakhlatein, their management and the Husni Bey family members have been fully cleared of the malicious charges mounted by criminals in public institutions”.
”The charges for fraud, smuggling and tax evasion and forgery in public documents were found to be maliciously planted by civil servants in the Audit Bureau’’, he added.
‘‘The management of the Audit Bureau have concluded that the charges were fabricated and today a decree and clearance were circulated for all to know what we never doubted. The HB Group of companies’ integrity and respect of the law is once more proven”.
It will be recalled that the action by the Audit Bureau is on the face of it supposed to be part of a wider move by it and the Central Bank of Libya to counter FX, customs duty and letter of credit fraud that was eating away at state revenues. [/restrict]
