| 04 Sep 2010 |
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Authorities uncover LL6bn Beirut Port scam
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04 September 2010
BEIRUT: A scam worth LL6 billion was uncovered at the Customs AuthorityCustoms Authority
after a judicial decision was issued against over 50 suspects on Thursday.
Military investigative magistrate Sami Sidqi demanded various sentences for the suspects, who are thought to have embezzled LL6 billion from the Customs AuthorityCustoms Authority and wasted public money.
The suspects included the owner of a merchandise clearance company, company employees and customs civil servants. The owner of the company, identified by his initials B.R., remains at large, while two of his employees were identified as J.M. and A.S.
The fraud was uncovered in 2009 and Sidqi announced his decision on Thursday, demanding three to 15 years in prison for B.R., J.M. and AS, and two months to two years in prison for 48 suspected employees at the Customs AuthorityCustoms Authority
. The magistrate also stopped the prosecution of seven other suspects for lack of evidence. According to the Arabic daily Al-Mustaqbal, the company owned by B.R. was licensed to clear merchandise and transport it out of the Beirut port. However, its owner and employees supposedly counterfeited several receipts and permits for clearing and exporting merchandise.
A.S. was tasked with handing out clearance permissions at the company while J.M., who had been an employee at the firm for over 20 years, was tasked with controlling and organizing documents.
“Goods belonging to six businesses dealing with B.R.’s company were exported without paying the legal fees,” Al-Mustaqbal said. “The businesses have filed personal lawsuits.”
Furthermore, employees allegedly used the stamps of the Customs AuthorityCustoms Authority civil servants to fake the receipts from November 2008 until June 2009. Customs employees were being tried for negligence.
Nonetheless, several of the company’s employees and numerous Customs workers denied the allegations, while some admitted to having seen the fake receipts in question. – The Daily Star
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