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By Hadi Fornaji.
Tunis, 19 June 2017:
Four members of staff of the Dawa Islamiya (Islamic Call Society) are reported to have been arrested in Tripoli today following an attempt yesterday by a number of staff yesterday to eject top management from the organisation’s headquarters.
The four who are unnamed, are said to have been arrested by members of Misrata’s Halbous Battalion 301 which was called in by management.
As a result of the arrests, staff say they plan to go on strike tomorrow.
Yesterday, they ejected members of the international Dawa Society’s steering committee headed by Saleh Al-Fakhri which they accuse of mismanagement and corruption. The accusations include the disposal of property in a number of foreign countries.
The staff have called on the Presidency Council’s government of national accord to replace Fakhri and his colleague who were appointed by the General National Congress after the Thinni government fled Tripoli three years ago.
Given that Halbous is a firm supporter of the Presidency Council, its backing of Fakhri has caused surprise as he is an Islamist and a close colleague of Sadek Al-Ghariani.
Dawa was used by the Qaddafi regime as its “Islamic affairs ministry” and acquired considerable property both inside and outside Libya. Following the revolution its influence sharply declined although initially its compound near the Swani Road in south Tripoli was used to house government officials. It remains rich, however.
