Bashagha unveiling enormous corruption within GNA

Ahmed Adel

The latest decision by the Head of the Presidential Council of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj to suspend his interior minister Fathi Bashagha and refer him for investigation has opened the door for internal conflicts within the government and the council.

Sarraj is accusing Bashagha of responsibility for quelling anti-government demonstrations in Tripoli a few days ago.

Bashagha said he had plans for the upgrade of the Interior Ministry.

He added in an interview with Radio Misurata on September 13 that a number of hurdles stood on the way of implementing this plan, including the lack of the necessary funding.

The violence and unrest that prevailed in Libya after 2011 affected all its institutions negatively, Bashagha said.

He noted that he agreed with the United Nations and Germany to train security personnel in Tripoli.

However, this also stopped because of the latest campaign on Tripoli by the Libyan National Army, Bashagha said.

He added that the coronavirus outbreak in the Libyan capital also suspended the training of security personnel.

Bashagha said he waited for the United Nations to resume its support so that he can move ahead with the training of the personnel.

He noted that among the challenges he faced on the road to making the Interior Ministry functional was the lack of arms.

We had to depend, he said, on the arms we confiscated from citizens.

He added that it would take the Interior Ministry in Tripoli five years at least to be rebuilt and function properly.

Bashagha conceded that corruption is rife in all government institutions in Tripoli, especially in the Interior Ministry.

He said he wanted to rebuild confidence between citizens and state institutions by fighting corruption, including in the Ministry of the Interior.