Diab warns of trying to overthrow criminal scrutiny in Lebanon

World_Lebanon

Diab also sent a letter to the Minister of Finance to request the Banque du Liban to act according to the opinion of the Legislation and Consultation Authority, in order to start the company “Alvarez”, based on the contract signed between it and the Lebanese state, which stipulates that the Banque du Liban hand over to the company the documents and information that it requested to launch the criminal audit workshop, Whereas, the Central Bank handed over only 42% of these files to the company, citing the Banking Secrecy Law.

The statement opined that, referring to the opinion of the legislative body that defined the concept of banking secrecy, and the suitability of the mission of the criminal audit firm appointed by the Lebanese government to carry out the criminal audit of the Bank of Lebanon’s accounts and activities, with the provisions of the Banking Secrecy Law and the Monetary and Credit Law, the Legislative Commission’s opinion has been explicitly stated. However, based on the Cabinet’s decision to conduct a criminal audit and to assign the Minister of Finance to sign the contract with the “Alvarez” company, it is the duty of the concerned parties to directly implement the cabinet’s decision by enabling the “Alvarez” company to carry out its mission and deliver the documents required from them while withholding the names of customers when needed. And replace them with numbers in order to preserve banking secrecy, knowing that state accounts are not subject to banking secrecy.

The statement pointed out that “any reform that does not stem from the criminal audit at the Banque du Liban is a sham reform to cover the continuation of the approach that brought the country to what it has reached at the level of money,” noting that “what is required today is for the Banque du Liban to initiate the delivery of documents to the criminal audit firm. And the information that you require, in order for this audit to start to reveal the financial facts and the causes of this collapse.

He pointed out that “any attempt to obstruct criminal scrutiny is a partnership in responsibility for causing the suffering of the Lebanese on the financial, economic and living levels,” warning against “the attempt to overthrow the criminal audit to prevent the Lebanese from knowing the truth about the backgrounds of the disappearance of their deposits, the reasons for the financial collapse and the deliberate manipulation of the price of the national currency.” , Pointing out that “this is a time that equals two stages. Either we pass towards a real workshop for reform and combating corruption, or we continue on the road that brought the country to the bottom of the abyss.” God witness that I delivered the information”.