MP Qabbani Says Central Inspection Board Probe Underway into Aridi-Safadi Case
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The head of the parliamentary public works committee said that the Central Inspection Board has launched an investigation into the engineering aspect of alleged construction violations that emerged after a spat between two cabinet ministers.
MP Mohammed Qabbani told An Nahar daily in remarks published on Thursday that the head of the Board, George Awad, confirmed to him during a telephone conversations about the probe into the accusations and counter accusations made by caretaker Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi and caretaker Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi.
The investigation would be in parallel with another probe launched by Financial Prosecutor Ali Ibrahim into the financial irregularities.
An Nahar said Wednesday that Ibrahim is expected to summon Aridi and Safadi to question them over the allegations of corruption.
Ibrahim has already asked the authorities to provide him with the text of a news conference made by Aridi and several TV interviews of Safadi.
The investigation launched by the financial prosecutor could lead to the questioning of several officials in both ministries, An Nahar said.
The finance ministry said in a statement on Thursday that it was coordinating with the financial prosecutor.
It did not confirm the report that Safadi would be summoned by Ibrahim.
Aridi accused Safadi during a press conference on Monday of withholding funds from his ministry for road maintenance in an effort to pressure him into approving a construction violation by the finance minister.
But Safadi swiftly denied the allegations in remarks to several local TV stations. He accused Aridi of launching a political campaign against him.
Qabbani said in his remarks to An Nahar that he hoped Awad would speed up his investigation to brief the committee about its results.
12 December 2013, 09:26
30
Don't worry, both sides are as well rotten
Most of public employees, cabinet ministers etc... are in place from long time, some 20 years ago (under hariri gov) and no one is able to remove them.
Ministers are just passing by their office but these people stay in place and are really those getting the public money in their pockets
12 December 2013, 19:19
00
in Lebanon high ranking leaders and officials across the board are the most corrupt among all government employees but in order to stay above suspicions they charge middle and lower rank employees to hold the bribes drawer and collect the loot for them and once in a while they will throw them a bone or two to buy their silence; remember the saying the fish start to rotten from the top.
since its independence corruption more than confessionalism has been lebanon's curse and incurable disease it has been the mo of all the religious mafias ruling the country since then.
