BEIRUT: Lebanon’s former prime minister Hassan Diab said on Monday he had given up shares in a company he was linked to in a leak of financial documents, and denied wrongdoing.
A statement by his office said he had taken part in founding the company in 2015 and owned 17 shares, but that the firm had no activity since then and he had since resigned his management role and sold his stake.
A Lebanese news organization, Daraj, was one of a number of international media outlets that reported the “Pandora Papers,” a set of leaked documents purported to reveal offshore transactions involving global political and business figures.
Reuters has not verified the reports or the documents. The use of offshore companies is not illegal and not evidence of wrongdoing on its own, but the news organizations that published the trove said such arrangements could be intended to hide transactions from tax collectors or other authorities.
Daraj reported that top political figures in Lebanon, including Prime Minister Najib Mikati, had embraced offshore havens.
“Is founding a company against the law?” Diab said, adding that he reserved the right to sue anyone who tries to defame him.
Lebanon’s former PM Diab says he gave up shares in company mentioned in ‘Pandora Papers’
https://arab.news/6vbqu
Lebanon’s former PM Diab says he gave up shares in company mentioned in ‘Pandora Papers’
- Diab’s office said he had taken part in founding the company in 2015 and owned 17 shares
- Lebanese news organisation, Daraj, was one of a number of international media outlets that reported the "Pandora Papers"
Syrian government foils Daesh plot to attack churches and New Year celebrations
- Bomber kills soldier in Aleppo, detonates explosives injuring 2 others
ALEPPO, DAMASCUS: The Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Thursday that it had thwarted a Daesh plot to carry out suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations and churches, particularly in Aleppo.
The ministry said in a statement that, as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts and careful monitoring of Daesh cells in cooperation with partner agencies, it had received intelligence indicating plans for suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations in several provinces, particularly Aleppo, with a focus on churches and civilian gathering areas.
The ministry added that it took preemptive measures, including reinforcing security around churches, deploying mobile and fixed patrols, and setting up checkpoints across the city.
During operations at a checkpoint in Aleppo’s Bab Al-Faraj district, security forces intercepted a suspected Daesh member who opened fire. One internal security soldier was killed, and the attacker detonated explosives, injuring two others.
Daesh recently increased its attacks in Syria, and was blamed for an attack last month in Palmyra that killed three Americans.
On Dec. 13, two US soldiers and an American civilian were killed in an attack Washington blamed on a lone Daesh gunman in Palmyra.
In retaliation, American forces struck scores of Daesh targets in Syria.
Syrian authorities have also carried out several operations against Daesh since then, saying on Dec. 25 they had killed a senior leader of the group.
