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By Sami Zaptia.
Tripoli, 26 January 2022:
Libya’s Attorney General ordered the detention of the country’s Health Minister Ali Zanati and his Deputy yesterday.
Reports say the Attorney General ordered Libya’s border exits to prevent them from leaving the country while unconfirmed reports say the health minister was detained by the Rada Deterrence Force at Mitiga airport.
The Attorney General’s Office reported that the detentions were based on financial irregularities reported by the Audit Bureau in the implementation of the government’s development sector of the budget allocated to the health sector.
It reported that the Minister and his Deputy were interrogated yesterday regarding non-observance of the regulation of administrative contracts in sector contracts and the failure to abide by the standards for the use of contracting tools.
Specifically, this was regarding:
- Carrying out work supplying oxygen generating units with a price increase of up to 1,000 percent of the market selling price,
- Contracting by direct assignment to carry out some works after the date of receiving them from the competent department
- Contracting by way of direct assignment with companies established on 10/8/2021 despite their lack of financial solvency and sufficient experience to carry out the contracted works.
The Attorney General’s Office reported that in the presence of sufficient evidence, it ordered their precautionary detention pending the case.
The detention of the Health Minister and his Deputy continues a series of high profile arrests and charges brought by the Attorney General in the fight against corruption in recent months.
The Attorney General, Sideeg Al-Sour, was approved in his fulltime role by the House of Representatives back April 2021. This has strengthened his hand and consolidated his legitimacy and mandate to go after corruption.
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