Tripoli— A joint statement issued by the five powers, the United States, UK, France, Germany and Italy, said that they support the work of the Libyan Audit Bureau describing it “a vital institution” helpful in countering corruption and theft of Libya’s resources.
The joint statement was published on Tuesday by these countries’ embassies in Libya on their X platforms.
“The Audit Bureau is a vital institution to ensure effective public financial management and to help counter the threat from corruption and theft of Libya’s resources,” the statement said.
It added, “today we reiterate our support for this institution and its leadership, and our concern that the independence and integrity of the Audit Bureau is respected by all parties in Libya, free of political interference from any side.”
“As partners of Libya, we have been pleased to support the work of the Audit Bureau. It is key part of the Libyan state, which contributes to international confidence in Libya,” the statement stressed.
However, the statement did not say how or who might have been threatening the “independence” and “integrity” of the Audit Bureau. Nor it did say from where the powers’ concern originated.
Meanwhile, on 24 March 2025, the Deputy Chairman of the Audit Bureau Attiyat Allah Al-Saiti issued an official warning to the Bureau’s Chairman Khaled Shakshak giving him a final opportunity to hand over his duties or he would be referred to the Public Prosecutor Office in the event of non-Compliance.
Al-Saiti said in the warning letter that Shakshak’s insistence on exercising the powers of the Chairman of the Bureau constitutes “impersonation” and a serious legal violation, stressing that it constitutes “fraud and deception in his job,” subjecting him to severe penalties in accordance with the provisions of the Libyan Penal Code.
Al-Saiti relied in his letter on several judicial rulings issued by various courts in Libya, against Mr. Shakshak, most notably the guardianship order by the South Tripoli Court of First Instance, which issued a writ of suspension against Shakshak, based on the House of Representatives Resolution No. 2014/30.
This came in a letter addressed by the head of the Tripoli Litigation Branch to several legal departments at economic institutions, including the Central Bank and the National Oil Corporation, on December 23. The letter demanded that all dealings with Shakshak and the implementation of his decisions be suspended, based on Judicial Order No. 2024/529.
The last time the US Special Envoy Ambassador Richard Norland and the US Charge d’Affaires Jeremy Berndt met with the Chair of the Audit Bureau Khaled Shakshak was on 19 February 2025. Norland said in a statement on X “I reaffirmed US support for the Audit Bureau’s efforts to promote transparency, accountability and good governance in Libya.” Adding, “Protecting the independence and integrity of Libya’s core technocratic institutions is essential for the country’s stability and prosperity”.