Agence France Press (AFP) cited Sunday a UN panel of experts’ report on Libya, revealing that at least three participants in UN-led Libya Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) were bribed for votes.
The UN experts’ report is set to be presented to the Security Council in March, and it found that during the Tunisia-hed LPDF talks, two participants “offered bribes of between $150,000 to $200,000 to at least three LPDF participants if they committed to vote for Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah as Prime Minister.”
The report, which is yet to be made public, was prepared by UN experts tasked with examining breaches of an international arms embargo in Libya.
“In a passage of their report seen by AFP, the experts reported that one delegate erupted in anger in lobby of the Four Seasons hotel in Tunis on hearing that some participants may have received up to $500,000 for their Dbeibah votes, whereas he had only received $200,000.” AFP reported.
AFP added that on participant in the LPDF, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed that he had witnessed the scene, voicing anger at “unacceptable corruption at a time when Libya is going through a major crisis”.
Meanwhile, the media office of the Government of National Unity (GNU) has issued a statement saying the Prime Minister-elect, Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, renders the media falsification and fake news as attempts to hinder the formation of the GNU and block its chances of receiving the House of Representatives’ confidence.
The media office of the GNU said this was an endeavor of fact-twisting by the media and Libyans had previously fallen for it many times, leading to the current fragmentation after conflicts and wars.
