TRIPOLI — The Integrity Commission has cleared three of the four nominee government ministers hitherto under investigation for evidence of criminal activity or unacceptable associations with the Gaddafi regime. The cleared ministers are Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Al-Aujali, Social Affairs Minister Kamla Khamis Al-Mazini and Agriculture Minister Ahmed Ayad Ali Al-Urfi. Religious Affairs Minister Abdusalam Mohammed Abusaad remains under investigation. The decisions were published by the Integrity Commission Tuesday. The commission's decision to clear Al-Aujali, Prime Minister Zaidan's surprise choice for foreign minister, is likely to prove controversial in many quarters. A career diplomat, Al-Aujali held several high-profile posts in the Gaddafi regime, including as ambassador to Malaysia, Argentina, and — upon the outbreak of the revolution — the United States. He is also accused of having had close relations with Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi. Following his announcement as Zaidan's proposed foreign minister, protests were staged outside Congress by three groups of revolutionaries demanding that he, along with five others, be removed. Nevertheless, his high-profile defection shortly after the start of the uprising on Feb. 17, together with several other ambassadors, undoubtedly helped garner international support for the revolution. In the summary of its findings on Al-Aujali, the Integrity Commission noted that, “Whilst the Commission finds that [Aujali] was Ambassador to the United States during the revolution, he nevertheless broke away from Gaddafi on Feb. 22, 2012, according to the telegram sent by the Libyan Foreign Ministry, which proves that he joined the revolution Feb. 17 prior to March 20, 2011.” Explaining its decision to clear Agriculture Minister Al-Urfi, formerly head of the General People's Planning Office in Marj, the committee noted that he had joined the revolution “the day before” March 20, and was also involved in “supplying arms and munitions to Misrata” during the uprising. The commission notes that Social Affairs Minister Al-Mazini has been cleared, but does not provide specifics save to say that no evidence had been found against her that warranted her being disbarred. The Integrity Commission also listed the names of every other member of the Zaidan government, save for Second Deputy Prime Minister Awad Barasi, saying that they too had been cleared. None of the above were of serious concern to the commission, and were officially sworn into the government at a ceremony at the National Congress on 14 Nov. 14. Barasi, for his part, was not subjected to investigation, having already been cleared by the commission. He served as electricity minister in the Kib government and was one of the early contenders for prime minister. Separately, it is also now being reported that Zaidan's proposed interior minister, Ashour Sulaiman Shuwail, has appointed Abdulhafiz Ghoga, formerly deputy chairman of the National Transitional Council, as his lawyer as part of his appeal campaign against the commission's decision earlier this month to disbar him. Protests have been held in Beida demanding Shuwail be reinstated, although he has also been opposed in counter-protests by revolutionaries in Tripoli. The other three ministers to have been disbarred, Ali Mohammed Muhairiq (Electricity), Abdulasalm Bashir Duabi (Higher Education), and Muaz Fathi Al-Khoja (Minister for Relations with Congress), are also believed to be appealing, with none having announced their decisions to stand down. Established under the NTC, the Integrity Commission is a 12-man body headed by Hilal Izzedine Sanusi, a former political prisoner and president of the First Court in Marj. Eight of the members have legal backgrounds and degrees in law, whilst the remaining four includes three academics and a businessman. The commission is mandated to investigate any person seeking high political office for ties with the Qaddafi regime or evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
