The annual report by Libya’s Audit Bureau revealed that cabinet ministers under interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh used development funds to purchase $8.5 million worth of luxury vehicles in 2022 without proper authorization.
According to the Audit Bureau’s report, Dbeibeh pproved allocating 40.5 million Libyan dinars last year to acquire 27 high-end 2021 vehicles for his ministers, violating finance laws regulating state procurement procedures and vehicle use.
Auditors said the Planning Ministry was directed to cover the unauthorized vehicle purchases by tapping unused development funds left over from the previous year’s budget, contravening Libya’s budget planning regulations.
The report accused Dbeibeh’s government of deliberately splitting the luxury vehicles contracts into smaller purchases to skirt mandatory Audit Bureau oversight on major public expenditures.
Previously in 2021, auditors flagged the acquisition of 25 expensive vehicles for the prime minister’s motorcade totaling over $4 million – vehicles that were not properly registered to the government as required.
The latest audit exposes the interim government’s embezzlement of public money meant for Libya’s long-delayed reconstruction and development. Experts say systemic corruption has gutted public services for Libyans struggling with economic deterioration and infrastructure neglect.