Officials at Libyan Shuwairf Villager Hospital have been arrested on charges of embezzling public funds estimated at 3.56 million Libyan dinars, the Attorney General’s Office announced on Tuesday.
The statement noted that the Director of the Libyan hospital, his Deputy, and the Acting Financial Controller were investigated on corruption charges. It added that the hospital’s contracting procedures were marred by fraud.
The three hospital officials conspired with a company not to provide the contracted supplies and equipment.
“The defendants submitted forged documents, stating that they had received medical equipment and supplies worth 3,560,000 dinars,” the statement explained.
In September, Officials of the Libyan General Training Center of the Ministry of Education were arrested on charges of embezzling public money, and forging official documents, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
The Office said in a statement that the Anti-Corruption Prosecution in the Tripoli Court of Appeals investigated a complaint filed by an employee of the General Training Center.
The investigations discovered that the accused “had committed crimes of seizing public money, obtaining material benefits in violation of laws, spending public money in a manner other than its intended purpose.”
They also have been accused of “forging official documents required by the Administrative Contract Regulations, and misusing the authority of their job.”
“After interrogating the accused, the Libyan investigator ordered their pretrial detention,” the statement explained.
In April, the Public Prosecution announced that the health sector illegally collected 74.273 million dinars from the state. This was during the 2017-2020 period of the former Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Fayez Al-Sarraj.
Included among the violations that the prosecution has proven were extraordinarily high hospital bills by private medical practices. These reportedly received sums of money from citizens in the form of guarantees, despite the state guaranteeing the expenses.