By Ebi Kesiena
Libya’s Education Minister, Moussa al-Megarief, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison due to a textbook shortage that disrupted the 2021 school year, the attorney general’s office announced on Sunday.
The Tripoli Court of Appeal also fined Megarief 1,000 dinars (approximately $200) and revoked his civil rights for the duration of his sentence, plus an additional year.
Megarief, a member of the national unity government, faced charges of “violating the principle of equality,” showing favouritism in contract management, and intervening on behalf of an unnamed party in connection with the printing of textbooks.
The case originated in 2021 when a shortage of textbooks forced parents to pay for photocopies, despite the books being intended for free distribution in public schools. Authorities launched an investigation into Megarief’s handling of contractual procedures related to textbook printing and the reasons behind the shortage.
Initially placed in preventive detention as part of the probe into alleged negligence, Megarief was later released due to insufficient evidence and resumed his ministerial duties. He attributed the textbook shortage to the unification of Libya’s school curriculum across the country’s three regions, which he claimed caused delays in payments to suppliers.
Despite the attorney general’s announcement, the Education Ministry’s Facebook page recently shared a photo of Megarief at work, indicating he was still carrying out his duties before the verdict was made public.
