The office of the Public Prosecutor in Tripoli hosted on Monday a meeting between the General Public Prosecutor, Al-Siddiq Al-Souer, and Dr. Mohammed Al-Gouj, the acting health minister tasked with steering the ministry’s affairs. The discussions centred on a cluster of highly sensitive dossiers directly impacting the well-being of citizens and the stewardship of public funds within the health sector. Foremost among these were the regulation of the country’s volatile pharmaceutical market, the establishment of robust mechanisms to govern public tenders, and the tightening of oversight on the procurement of diverse medical supplies, all to ensure probity and transparency.
A significant portion of the deliberations was consumed by the alleged irregularities and transgressions that plagued the procurement of cancer treatment drugs from Iraq – a process that predates Dr. Al-Gouj’s current tenure. On this critical matter, Public Prosecutor Al-Souer underscored the unwavering commitment of the Public Prosecution to investigate and hold to account all those found to be implicated in this case, or indeed any other instances of corruption that jeopardise public health or pilfer public funds. He emphasised that the full force of the law would be brought to bear on anyone daring to trifle with the health of Libyan citizens or manipulate public resources allocated for healthcare. For his part, Dr. Al-Gouj, speaking after this encounter, affirmed his complete dedication to fostering close and constructive collaboration with the Public Prosecutor’s office and all relevant anti-corruption oversight bodies. He further stated that he had already initiated concrete and practical measures aimed at developing and modernising Libya’s health sector, and ensuring that essential medical services reach all citizens in a more effective, efficient, and equitable manner