Libya’s Education Minister, Moussa al-Megarief, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison over his role in a school textbook shortage from 2021, the attorney general’s office announced on Sunday.
A Tripoli appeal court also imposed a fine of 1,000 dinars (approximately $200) and ruled that Megarief would be stripped of his civil rights for the duration of his sentence and an additional year after his release.
The minister, a member of Libya’s national unity government, was found guilty of favouritism and mismanagement in handling contracts for textbook printing. He was also accused of violating the principle of equality and intervening in favour of an undisclosed party.
The case stems from a critical shortage of school textbooks at the start of the 2021 academic year, forcing parents to rely on photocopies despite the government’s commitment to providing books for free in public schools.
Authorities launched an investigation into Megarief’s handling of textbook procurement contracts and his role in the shortage. He was initially placed in preventive detention over alleged negligence in office but was later released due to a lack of evidence and reinstated as education minister.
Megarief defended himself by attributing the delay to efforts to unify Libya’s school curriculum across its three regions, which he claimed disrupted payments to suppliers.
Despite his conviction, the Education Ministry posted an image of Megarief at work on its official Facebook page before the attorney general’s announcement.
