Former Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hassan al-Saghir, responded to a statement by the Central Bank of Libya about the existence of counterfeit currency in a Facebook post, stating that the roots of the issue go back to what happened during the era of former governor Al-Siddiq Al-Kabir.
Al-Saghir addressed the current bank administration, headed by Naji Issa, saying: “You will not fool us again with the grandeur of your buildings and headquarters.” He noted that “all your governments and authorities have admitted that militias and weapons are in control, so the walls you have hold no legitimacy,” as he put it.
Al-Saghir stressed that the “legal legitimacy” for issuing and minting currency comes from the Parliament, which holds the power of appointment and dismissal. He added: “And if legitimacy comes from wealth, then the wealth is in our land, and we are the ones who have the right to represent it… and we are the ones who secure and protect it.”
Al-Saghir concluded with a sharp message: “Don’t let them drag you into justifications and explanations… A single phrase is the response to them: End your problems, your conflicts, and your daily infighting. This can only be done by ending the ideological and opportunistic, self-serving militias; only then can we accept a dialogue from you and with you about what remains of the homeland.”