A Libyan legal expert has revealed alleged large-scale financial and administrative violations in the country’s telecommunications sector, involving over 100 million Libyan dinars in irregular contracts and unauthorized payments.
The most serious allegation centers on the awarding of a 5G license, reportedly without payment, to a company owned by the son of outgoing Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbaiba.
Tarek Elgamli, Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Benghazi and Head of the Oversight Authority at the Libyan National Telecommunications Company, Hatif Libya, stated that major financial contracts were signed without following legal procedures and without informing the official oversight body.
He stated that substantial payments were made in advance to unidentified parties, raising concerns about transparency and legality.
Elgamli said that he was blocked from performing his duties, including being excluded from board meetings. He also alleged that he was pressured to resign in exchange for receiving his financial entitlements, a move he described as an attempt to silence oversight.
According to Elgamli, the central issue is the 5G license granted to Unified Communications Network, a company owned by Mohamed Dbaiba, son of the Prime Minister. He claimed the license was granted “free of charge” through company agent Ahmed Al-Kalloush and without any competitive bidding or regulatory process.
He further stated that Hatif Libya was used as a front to facilitate the licensing deal and revealed that more than $ 124 million in contracts was awarded to newly formed, inexperienced companies. He described these actions as a deliberate waste of public funds and a serious violation of state laws.
Elgamli claimed to possess documents proving the misuse of authority and unlawful financial transactions. He called for immediate legal and institutional action to protect public funds and hold those responsible accountable.
