The Libyan Parliament-designated government, led by Fathi Bashagha, has accused the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU), led by Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba of “committing financial irregularities related to the general budget.”
Bashagha’s Minister of Planning and Finance, Osama Hammad submitted a letter to the Attorney General, the Head of the Administrative Control Authority, the Head of the Audit Bureau, and the Anti-Corruption Authority. The letters included accusations against the GNU of “serious financial crimes and irregularities” committed by Dbaiba.
Hammad said that “Dbaiba allocated more than 16.5 billion dinars for the year, without a legal basis.” He added that allocating such an amount is “misleading and slander, especially since the development projects, where this money is allocated, have not been completed during the fiscal year.”
Notably, Bashagha sent the Parliament Speaker, Ageela Saleh the 2023 general budget for his government. It amounted to 57 billion and 531 million dinars.
Bashagha tasked Saleh with reviewing the draft budget, and submitting it to Parliament for approval. He had received the draft budget from Hammad, in preparation for referring it to the Parliament for approval.
In his letter, Hammad clarified that this “procedure is based on the provisions of the state’s financial system law and the budget, accounts, and stores regulations.” During a session held in Sirte, in mid-June, the Parliament unanimously approved Bashagha’s general budget for 2022, with a value of 89,689,376,000 Libyan dinars.
In March, Bashagha accused Dbaiba of supporting terrorism and armed militias. During an interview with Al-Arabiya Al-Hadath television channel, Bashagha said a number of militias that supported Dbaiba had now “retreated.”
He confirmed his government has the ability to enter Tripoli, “but prefers to enter it peacefully, and without bloodshed. The outgoing government is trying to drag us into a conflict that will lead to casualties.”
