Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi, the mayor of the Libyan city of Derna has been charged and detained over recent floods which killed thousands of people in the east of the country, APA can report from Tripoli on Monday.
al-Ghaithi and others also detained are being blamed for wilful negligence over dam facilities which were not properly maintained.
The authorities say their inaction to correct flaws in the dam indireclty led to the deaths of housands of people when the floods hit eastern Libya earlier in September.
Protesters angered by the inaction attacked al-Ghaithi house and razed it to the ground.
His woes continued after the Office of the Attorney General issued a statement on Monday saying al-Ghaithi and other officials under him were charged for negligence over the improper managment of the dams in the region which were breached by the floods.
The criminal case against them also covers accusations of mismanaging funds earmarked to bolster the dams and prevent them from giving way and causing widepsread death and destruction.
Mr al-Ghaithi and the other suspects are being detained pending the start of the trial.
However, there are quesiton marks over how the trial can proceed given that the case is being prosecuted by the government based in Tripoli while a rival authority is based in eastern Libya.
It is unclear whether the attorney general based in Tripoli has the authority to order a trial or the arrest and detention of the mayor of Derna and others held responsible for the disaster.
The AG;s office has warned that more arrests could be made in the comng days as the investigations is widened.
Meanwhile the aithorities in eastern Libya say the death toll from the floods has climbed to 3,868.
WN/as/APA