Libya’s education minister, Moussa al-Megarief, has been handed a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence, the attorney-general’s office declared Sunday.
The Tripoli court of appeal also levied a 1,000 dinar fine (approximately $200) against Megarief.
Furthermore, his civil rights have been revoked for the duration of his sentence plus an additional year.
Megarief, a member of the national unity government, faced accusations of “violating the principle of equality.”
He was also charged with intervening for an unidentified party and showing “favouritism in contract management” concerning textbook printing.
The case stems from the beginning of the 2021 school year.
At that time, a significant textbook shortage compelled parents to incur costs for photocopies of materials meant to be freely provided in public schools.
An inquiry was launched into Megarief’s handling of textbook printing contracts and the underlying causes of the scarcity.
He was briefly held in preventive detention amid investigations into “negligence in the exercise of his functions.”
Megarief was subsequently released due to insufficient evidence and returned to his role as education minister.
He had previously attributed the textbook shortage to the unification of the school curriculum across Libya’s three regions.
This unification, he argued, led to delays in payments owed to suppliers.