The National Accord Bloc in the High Council of State (HCS) said that international newspaper reports confirm what the bloc has previously warned about regarding corruption contracts being signed by Arkenu Oil Company for the development of oil fields, “with direct authorization from the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity and collusion from the Chairman of the National Oil Corporation,” according to the bloc’s statement.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the bloc added that suspicions surrounding the smuggling of Libyan oil by Arkenu have now been documented explicitly in the report of the UN Panel of Experts, which exposes the company to Libyan and international legal sanctions.
The bloc reiterated that the insistence on enabling this “suspicious company” to secure deals outside the legal framework represents a clear abuse of power and the authority of the de facto government to deepen corruption.
The statement further claimed that “the defiance and rebellion of the beneficiaries of this suspicious company, both in the east and west of the country, against the decisions of the House of Representatives and the orders of the Attorney General, constitutes a crime against the Libyan people and a looming threat aimed at monopolizing wealth and power through corruption.”
The bloc called on the Attorney General and both the House of Representatives and the High Council of State to hold an urgent meeting to confront “this serious breach of laws and regulations and to stop the largest looting of the Libyan people’s wealth.”
It strongly condemned the “escalating plunder of resources at a time when Libya and its people are suffering from poor services, the collapse of the dinar’s value, and confusion in financial and economic policies.”
