The Administrative Control Authority has suspended several officials at the Libyan Export Development Authority and referred them for investigation over alleged violations related to a contract for the purchase of an administrative building valued at LYD 45.2 million.
The Authority stated that it had identified a series of administrative, financial, and technical irregularities in the Authority’s performance, specifically concerning the procedures followed in contracting for the reservation and purchase of the building.
According to the Authority, the investigation revealed several violations in the contracting process, including the disbursement of LYD 18.306 million to the executing company in breach of the contract’s provisions, the failure to obtain prior approvals from both the Administrative Control Authority and the Council of Ministers before signing the contract, and non-compliance with the legal procedures governing public procurement.
The Authority further stated that the project was not advertised through official government tender platforms, that more than one technical bid was not obtained, that the project was not included in the annual development plan, that no specialized consultant was engaged before the contract was signed, and that the legal guarantees and insurance requirements stipulated in the administrative contracts regulations were not fulfilled.
It also identified additional financial and technical violations, including an excessively large advance payment relative to the actual progress of the project, reliance on completion certificates issued by a department not recognized within the Authority’s organizational structure, the absence of proof that the executing company had paid its taxes and social security contributions, the company’s business activity and capital being inconsistent with the nature of the contract, and the subcontracting of certain contractual obligations to a foreign company without complying with applicable legislation.
The Administrative Control Authority also stated that the investigation demonstrated shortcomings in the management of the Libyan Export Development Authority by its chairman and questioned his competence, noting that this position represented his first appointment within the state administrative apparatus.
The Authority added that the officials concerned admitted to a number of the violations during the preliminary investigation records, establishing legal responsibility on their part. As a result, they have been referred to the Authority’s General Investigation Department to complete legal proceedings and have been suspended from duty as a precautionary measure pursuant to Article 31 of Administrative Control Authority Law No. 20 of 2013.
The suspension and referral decision applies to:
- The Chairman of the Libyan Export Development Authority;
- The Director of Administrative and Financial Affairs;
- The Director of the Internal Audit Office;
- The Financial Controller;
- The Director of the International Cooperation Office and Secretary;
- The Director of the Legal Affairs Office.
