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The Central Bank of Lebanon said Wednesday that the government should be the one to present all its accounts for forensic auditing, after the interim government asked it to provide all the required data to the consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal.
The bank added in a statement that it could not provide the data as this would violate the country’s bank secrecy laws.
Former Lebanese Economy and Trade Minister Raed Khoury had previously said that the demands of the International Monetary Fund and the French initiative relate to the Bank of Lebanon audit to find out the size of the losses, and not to the criminal audit.
He added, in statements to Al-Arabiya, that serious reforms must be carried out in order to obtain loans from international institutions.
The director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, said the fund is “fully prepared” to work with Lebanon to solve its financial problems and restructure its debts, but it needs a partner within the government.
CNN told the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank that the divisions afflicting Lebanon shackles the country and impede the progress of a new economic plan.
“One hand does not clap,” Georgieva said, “We are ready and ready to help Lebanon; we need a partner.”
