The mayor of Derna, a Libyan city ravaged by severe flooding, has been detained in relation to the catastrophe, according to officials.
Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi is one of several officials facing charges in connection with the disaster that claimed the lives of thousands in eastern Libya earlier this month. In protest, enraged residents of Derna set fire to the mayor’s residence last week.
The office of the attorney general, situated in the capital, Tripoli, declared on Monday that these officials were “responsible for the management of the country’s dam facilities,” prompting the initiation of a criminal case against them.
Some of these officials, including al-Ghaithi, had already been apprehended before the trial, as reported by the Press.
In a statement issued on Monday, the attorney general’s office accused these officials including the mayor, of numerous inadequacies, such as mishandling funds intended for the maintenance of the dams that burst and triggered the floods in Derna.
The attorney general’s office also indicated that investigations into other officials were ongoing, suggesting that more arrests could follow.