Dbeibeh appoints new Chairman for NOC

The Libyan Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, has issued a decision to sack the board of directors and chairman of the National Oil Corporation (NOC), Mustafa Sanallah, and appoint Farhat Bengdara as new chairman.

The decision, widely circulated on media outlets but not yet announced in official channels of the Government of National Unity, names Hussein Safar, Masoid Mousa, and Ahmed Ammar as board members of the NOC, in addition to the deputy minister of oil and gas.

Sanallah has been NOC’s Head since August 2014, while Bengdara served as Central Bank of Libya’s Governor from 2006 to 2011.

Oil and Gas Minister, Mohammed Oun, called for the dismissal of Sanallah more than once since last year over accusations of spying and hiding billions of dinars of oil revenues in NOC’s bank accounts and serving the interests of foreign companies.

Dbeibah agreed with Oun on June 23 about replacing Sanallah. He asked for recommendations.

Observers believe that Bengdara is close to Khalifa Haftar and has been recommended for the job by Saddam Haftar who met with Ibrahim Dbeibah – the PM’s advisor – in the UAE a few days ago. The meeting, according to sources with knowledge of the conversation, was sponsored by the UAE and led nowhere as to understandings between the two. However, appointing Bengdara as NOC chairman by Dbeibah says otherwise.