The former Libyan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Al-Siddiq Abdel-Karim was arrested on the orders of the Attorney General yesterday, according to Libya Al-Hadath news.
The Attorney General, Al-Siddiq Al-Sour confirmed that the former Libyan deputy PM was detained on charges of “seriously damaging public money” while serving in his former position.
The former Deputy PM is a Libyan physician and politician who served as First Deputy Prime Minister between 14 November 2012 and 29 August 2014.
In November, he submitted his candidacy papers for the Presidential elections to the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) in Tripoli.
The former Deputy PM said in a speech after submitting his candidacy papers that he would “like to work with everyone in order to bring Libya to safety, and to benefit from the lessons of the past and the various cases that caused the crises. The Libyan people can only be brought together by a modern state based on citizenship and human rights,” explaining that “this cannot be achieved without national reconciliation that establishes a new stage.”
Notably, Libya’s long-awaited elections on 24 December were postponed indefinitely. HNEC proposed holding them on 24 January, a month from their scheduled date.
Observers warn that further postponing the elections could drag the country into chaos again, and reignite war. The majority of the country remains under the control of armed militias, with competing agendas.