The Attorney General, Sideeg Al-Sour, held a press conference at his new Tripoli headquarters (opposite the National Oil Corporation) today where he gave an overview of cases in 2023. These are the highlights:
76,000 criminal cases in 2023
There are nearly 76,000 criminal cases pending before the prosecution for 2023, including more than 12,000 organized crimes.
Gold smuggling
Internal Security has transferred an evidentiary report regarding the process of removing gold out of Libya. The Attorney General’s Office has opened an investigation, and legal measures will be taken against those involved – if what has been attributed to them is proven.
Possible fraud found in Civil Status System
After reviewing about 21 percent of the Civil Status System since 2017 in 124 Civil Registry Offices, several forged National ID Numbers that had no basis in the system were cancelled. The review was to uncover fraud, determine the integrity of Libyan citizenship and stop the tampering with citizens’ data. Criminal suspicion was discovered in 11,823 family records – with investigations still ongoing in the rest of the system.
Digital Public Prosecution System
The digital public prosecution system is independent of the local state Libyan operators, Libyana and Al-Madar, and its virtual warehouse is secured by Cyberania, an American company.
Derna disaster
The disaster in Derna could have been avoided if officials had acted on the recommendations of a Swiss consulting office. It had recommended modifications and maintenance to the two dams in 2003.
All officials from 2003 until the time of the dam collapse were involved in the disaster, and those detained in the case are 14 defendants.
Derna victims at 4,500
The number of victims of the Derna flood reached 3,964 from Libya, 276 from Egypt, 168 from Sudan, and 132 from Palestine, Syria, Bangladesh, Morocco, Chad, Turkey, Poland, Algeria, Tunisia and Lebanon.
The Public Prosecution issued 400 local arrest warrants in addition to 9 international notices to bring in defendants outside Libya, including those in Tunisia, Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
Misrata Port Customs embezzled 25 million of customs guarantees
A group of customs guard officers working at the Misrata Port Customs Centre were imprisoned for embezzling customs guarantees estimated at LD 25 million.
ISIS arrests
The Deterrence Service for Combating Organized Crime and Terrorism (Kara’s SDF) referred 1,231 cases last year, including 38 cases for belonging to the banned ISIS organization.
NC7 Hamada field
The contract with a foreign consortium regarding the NC7 Hamada field was stopped based on a report from the Minister of Oil and Gas. Investigations in the contract are continuing.
Libya’s former Ambassador and Financial Controller in Uganda imprisoned (libyaherald.com)
