The mayor of Derna, a city in Libya that was severely flooded, has been arrested in connection with the disaster, according to officials.
Numerous officials were charged in relation to the disaster that struck eastern Libya earlier this month and left thousands dead, including the mayor, Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi.
Residents of Derna who were outraged set fire to the mayor’s home last week.
The officials were “responsible for managing the country’s dam facilities,” according to the attorney general’s office, based in the capital Tripoli, and as a result, a criminal investigation had been opened against them.
Prior to the trial, some of the officials—among them Mr. al-Ghaithi—had already been imprisoned.
The attorney general’s office accused the officials in a statement on Monday of a number of mistakes, including misusing money intended for maintaining the dams that broke and brought about the Derna floods.
His office also said that by failing to take precautions, the officials had demonstrated neglect, which had resulted in flood-related deaths and economic losses for Libya.
Mr al-Ghaithi has further been accused of abusing his authority.
In Libya, there are two opposing governments: one in the east and one in the west. The extent to which the attorney general can order arrests in the east is unclear given that his office is located in Tripoli, which is in the west.
The eastern government announced on Sunday that 3,868 flood-related deaths had been confirmed.
Source-BBC
