Widespread photographic reports on social media show the ‘‘entry’’ and takeover of the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) by the Presidency Council appointed Handover Committee. The committee is headed by the Tripoli based Transport Minister Mohamed Al-Shahoubi. The media reports say the committee claims it has begun its work at the CBL.
Meanwhile, the Presidency Council has also appointed Abdul Fattah Ghaffar as temporary CBL Governor ‘‘until the return of the Governor and the commencement of his work or the election of a governor, and to commit to implementing the financial arrangements until an agreement is reached on the general budget’’.
The Presidency Council decision to remove incumbent Governor Saddek El-Kaber and appoint a new board and Governor and appoint a Handover Committee, are all regarded as ‘‘illegal’’ by the two legislative bodies, the House of Representatives (HoR) and the High State Council, and by the Libyan Political Agreement.
At the time of publication, the Tripoli based government’s media pages are silent about the CBL events.
Yesterday, in a leaked letter, incumbent CBL Governor El-Kaber told the Tripoli based Acting Interior Minister Imad Trabelsi that he holds him responsible for the security of the CBL.
Trabelsi, it will be recalled, had announced last Friday that his Interior Ministry had taken over the security of the CBL. He had vowed that the CBL would not be taken by force.
He had also stressed that the decision to change the CBL Governor/Board was issued by an official body, which is an administrative matter that is not the competence of the security services.
El-Kaber had also informed Trabelsi that he had informed the Attorney General of the attempted storming of the CBL.
Yesterday, the HoR had condemned attempts to storm the CBL by force under what it called ‘‘decisions and committees from illegitimate and unrelated parties (the Presidency Council) in accordance with the law appointing or dismissing the bank’s governor, deputy or board of directors’’.
HoR condemns attempted storming of CBL (libyaherald.com)
Presidency Council to elect new board and Governor of CBL (libyaherald.com)
HoR confirms El-Kaber as Governor of the CBL (libyaherald.com)
The end of the road for current CBL Governor El-Kaber? (libyaherald.com)
CBL Governor Saddek Elkaber sacked again | (libyaherald.com)
