Al-Thanni government of the Tobruk-based House of Representatives confirmed that what it described as high-profile officials ordered and executed the abduction of the Head of the Prime Minister's Office, Al-Ameen Al-Hawail.

In a statement Friday, the government said it contacted, together with the General Investigation Apparatus, many phone calls until finally reaching the kidnappers, who said they were related to the judicial personnel.

“But the arrest of Al-Hawail was done without any legal justification.” The government added.

“We’re doing what we’re told by some high-profile officials.” The kidnappers told the government when it figured out where they were holding Al-Hawail, without saying out the names of those officials, according to the statement.

It added that the government is working tirelessly on all threads that can lead to the revelation of the reason behind the kidnap, pointing out that this kind of behavior is a first and a blindingly obvious indication that shows how weak the legitimacy of the government institutions is.