A UN panel of experts' report on Libya, cited by Agence France Press (AFP) Sunday, revealed that at least three participants in UN-led Libyan 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-held 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”.
The latest claims came after several Libyan organisations in November demanded an investigation into allegations of corruption over the selection of future Libyan officials.
The UN’s acting Libya envoy at the time, Stephanie Williams, told LPDF members and journalists that she had launched an investigation into allegations of bribery.
In a letter seen by AFP and dated February 20, LPDF participants Sayida Kamel Yaacoubi and Azza Mahmoud Assid called on Williams’ permanent successor Jan Kubis to make public the experts' report, saying the allegations were an affront to their “dignity, honour and transparency”.