Transport Minister Mohamed El-Shahoubi has called on Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah to intervene to release the Executive Director of the General National Maritime Transport Company (GNMTC), Khaled Touati, and to ensure his safety.
The GNMTC official was kidnapped in broad daylight on Sunday, according to El- Shalhoubi.
Touati was leaving his workplace at noon when a group of armed men approached him and forced him into one of three civilian vehicles they were using El- Shalhoubi said in a letter to Dbeibah.
He urged the PM to instruct the Ministry of Interior and all relevant authorities to ensure the safety of the company's CEO.
What happened with Touati will harm the company at the local and international levels, the minister stated as he warned that such action would force the company to halt its distribution operations of oil derivatives and cause damage to public money.
Earlier, the Ministry of Transport called on the security services to take action to preserve the safety of Touati and prevent "what might affect the obligations of the shipping company with foreign companies."
On Monday morning, the company's employees warned that they would enter an open sit-in if the enforced disappearance of the CEO continues.
They expressed their rage at the government's 'foot-dragging' approach regarding Touati's case.
