Attorney General drops 4-year prison sentence against former Oil Minister Aoun after his arrest at Mitiga airport

The Attorney General’s Office announced last Saturday (6 September) that it had released former Oil and Gas Minister in the Tripoli based Libyan government, Mohamed Aoun, after Judicial Police officers had arrested him on the same day at Tripoli’s Mitiga airport, while attempting to board a flight.

Aoun was arrested, the Attorney General’s Office explained, to enforce a judgment passed in absentia sentencing him to four years in prison. This was for abusing his official authority and neglecting his duty to preserve and maintain public funds in 2006 whilst Chairman of the Board of Zueitina Oil Company.

However, the Attorney General’s Office said the case officer concluded that the judgment in absentia had been dropped due to the Aoun’s earlier appearance before the Tripoli Court of Appeal, which decided to hear the case on Tuesday, 9 September 2025.

Accordingly, the enforcement officer directed that Aoun be notified of the hearing date and that the imposed measures be suspended until the court decides on his legal status.

Aoun suspended then reinstated by ACA – but then sacked by PM Aldabaiba
It will be recalled that former Oil and Gas Minister Mohamed Aoun had been suspended from his post by the Administrative Control Authority (ACA) by virtue of Resolution No. 347 of 2024 on 25 March 2024 ‘‘for investigation reasons’’.

After the completion of the investigation the ACA issued Resolution No. 492 of 2024 on 12 May 2024 lifting the precautionary suspension.

However, despite the ACA reinstating Aoun in May, Tripoli Prime Minister Aldabaiba in effect sacked Aoun in May by keeping current Acting Oil and Gas Minister Khalifa Abdel Sadig in his post permanently.

It must be noted that critics and commentators at the time of Aoun’s suspension viewed the suspension as a political manoeuvre rather than a legal/administrative one. They suspected that Aldabaiba had Aoun suspended and then sacked for publicly obstructing and objecting to the NC7 Hamada oil deal Aldabaiba wanted with foreign investors.

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Oil and Gas Minister Mohamed Aoun reinstated to his post after end of investigation

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