The Attorney General's Office ordered the pre-trial detention of an official from the Strategic Programmes Office and the Director of the General Department of Information and Digital Transformation at the National Oil Corporation (NOC).
The two are being investigated for harming the public interest and leaking sensitive oil-related data.
Investigations revealed that vital information—pertaining to oil fields, production rates, oil and gas reserves, and exploration projects—had been removed from the NOC’s control and acquired by a foreign company managed by the wife of the former Strategic Programs Office director.
A contract had been awarded to this company in 2023 to conduct a sector development study, in violation of applicable regulations.
The Attorney General's Office said this breach left the NOC unable to access sensitive data essential for decision-making.
Consequently, investigative authorities ordered the arrest and summons of the former office director and his wife—the owner of the foreign company—and have initiated legal proceedings to recover the leaked data and information.
