Libyan Minister of Health, his Deputy arrested for Financial and Administrative Corruption
The Public Prosecutor’s Office issued an order to imprison the Libyan Minister of Health, Ali Al-Zanati, and his deputy, Samir Koko, in the government, in precaution, against the background of their involvement in financial and administrative corruption cases.
And the Office of the Public Prosecutor in Libya announced in a press statement on Wednesday, “the investigation on Tuesday into financial irregularities regarding the implementation of the development budget allocated to health, and the questioning of the Minister of Health and his deputy, for non-observance of the list of administrative contracts and the failure to adhere to standards.”
He added that “in the presence of sufficient evidence that they committed the reality attributed to them, the Public Prosecution ended up ordering their pretrial detention, pending the case.”
This includes their carrying out the work of supplying oxygen production units with an increase in price that reached 1000% of the market selling price, and contracting by direct assignment with a company established on August 2021, despite the lack of financial solvency and sufficient experience to carry out the contracted works, according to the statement.
The Libyan government has not issued an official comment yet on the decision to imprison the minister.
The decision to “preventive” detention comes as part of a series of judicial operations that affected a number of senior Libyan government officials, as the Attorney General last month ordered the imprisonment of the Ministers of Culture and Education on similar corruption grounds.
The “preservative” detention of officials and ministers has been repeated in Libya over the past years, but it usually ends with their release or sentencing them to lighter sentences.
It was not possible to hold it on time, due to security, political and judicial obstacles, which constituted a “force majeure” that prevented its establishment, according to the National Elections Commission in Libya.
