Is it possible that a Lebanese official – a minister to boot – may finally be held to account? Two ministers who recently accused each other of corruption are being questioned by a judge. And that is a good start.
Beirut - It is exceedingly rare for a judge in Lebanon to pick up the phone and call a minister, requesting that he come in for questioning on charges of corruption. That is what public prosecutor Ali Ibrahim did, inviting Minister of Public Works and Transportation Ghazi al-Aridi and Finance Minister Mohammed al-Safadi to his office to discuss a recent exchange of accusations between the two officials.
Both ministers readily agreed, particularly given that the measure is not exactly a legal procedure and that the immunity they both enjoy as ministers and MPs will not be lifted. Nevertheless, Judge Ibrahim’s step is considered exceptional in a country in which it is rare for any official to be held to account, much less questioned on matters related to corruption.
Tensions between the two ministers came to a head shortly after a major tunnel near Beirut’s international airport flooded during the first winter rains. Aridi, who as minister of public works was held responsible, accused Safadi in a press conference of withholding the necessary funds, claiming that the finance minister wanted him to sign off on two major real estate violations in which he has a personal stake.
Sources close to Judge Ibrahim maintain that he is determined to pursue the airport tunnel incident to the end. He has already sent requests for information to the two ministries, in addition to calling those companies in charge of maintaining the sewage system in for questioning next week.
Judicial sources tell Al-Akhbar that the ministers will be given the opportunity to clear their names before the judge, suggesting that this may prove to be a positive step: it may expose even more dirt on the case, which neither official has yet mentioned in public. Others, however, warn that there are discussions going on at the highest levels with the goal of burying the scandal before it spirals out of control.
It is worth noting that Lebanese law stipulates that ministers cannot be tried before a regular court, and that a special tribunal for high officials must be set up. And before a trial can even be held, there is a complicated process by which the ministers’ immunity against prosecution must first be lifted. In any case, this special tribunal has a poor record of actually indicting any official – with the exception of one in the 1990s – throughout the entire history of the republic.
This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.