The French website Africa Intelligence reported that a new legal case is expected to be filed against Farhat Omar Bengdara, in addition to two previous cases. This case is based on a ruling by the Tripoli Court of Appeals, which determined in October that the head of the National Oil Corporation holds UAE citizenship.
According to the website, lawsuits against Farhat Omar Bengdara, head of the NOC, are increasing. Mohamed Aoun, the former Minister of Oil and Gas in the Tripoli government from 2021 to 2024, is preparing to file a lawsuit before the Tripoli Court of First Instance challenging the legitimacy of Bengdara’s appointment.
Bengdara was appointed head of the NOC in July 2022 by the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh.
The former oil minister argues that this appointment is illegal due to Bengdara’s UAE citizenship. Aoun bases his argument on a prior ruling by the Tripoli Court of Appeals in October.
This legal challenge against Bengdara comes alongside a lawsuit filed by an NOC employee, Masoud Shreih, an advisor in the corporation’s International Marketing Department. Shreih, represented by the Libyan legal firm “Etqan,” challenged his transfer to the Arabian Gulf Oil Company (AGOCO), a subsidiary of the NOC in Benghazi, before the Tripoli Court of Appeals a year ago. The NOC, represented by the state’s Legal Affairs Department, claimed that the transfer resulted from internal relationship issues.
However, when the Tripoli Court of Appeals ruled in Shreih’s favor in October, it justified its decision by stating that Bengdara’s actions as head of the NOC could not be applied because his appointment was deemed unlawful.
The plaintiff’s lawyers presented documents to the court showing that the head of the NOC had registered a company in the UK named INTLBA Ltd using a UAE passport. According to the defense, this constitutes “a violation of Law No. 24 of 2010 (the Libyan Nationality Law), which stipulates that anyone who acquires foreign citizenship without adhering to the provisions of this law automatically loses their Libyan citizenship.”
Targeting the Prime Minister
Following the Tripoli Court of Appeals ruling, the High Council of State sent a letter on December 12 to the Ministry of Interior of the Government of National Unity, intelligence agencies, the Public Financial Investigation Authority, and the Audit Bureau. The letter called for a financial and administrative investigation into Farhat Bengdara.
For his part, Bengdara continues to deny the accusations and asserts that he retains the support of the Prime Minister. Since the Court of Appeals ruling, no political representative has contested his legitimacy as head of the NOC.
By targeting Bengdara, Mohamed Aoun effectively seeks to destabilize the Prime Minister, who is also implicated in this case. This lawsuit is part of Aoun’s broader battle against Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, as Aoun aims to preserve his position at the Ministry of Oil.
Aoun also hopes to undermine the credibility of decisions made by Dbeibeh. The conflict between the two men erupted last year when Dbeibeh dismissed Aoun after the Administrative Oversight Authority launched an investigation against him “for public interest reasons.” Although the investigation yielded no results, Aoun was unable to regain his position, which is now held by Khalifa Abdel Sadek, according to the website.
