From city hall to the port, Sgoutri clan gains clout in Misrata

摘要

The Sgoutri clan is enjoying a heyday in Misrata. On 24 September, the day Mahmoud Sgoutri took office as mayor of the city-state, his brother Mohsen Mohamed Sgoutri held his first board meeting as president of the Misrata Free Zone (MFZ). Appointed on 25 August, he replaced Hussein Ben Hamida, who had been appointed shortly after the end of the Gaddafi era, as head of the free zone. The MFZ is highly strategic: its deep-water port, the main entry point for imports, supplies the entire country. It is also home to some of its largest companies, including the grain elevators of several major traders such as Mohamed Tahar Issa; the Toyota dealership; and Mafaza, which imports construction machinery and Bridgestone tyres, and is owned by the powerful Swehli family.