Head of the interim government in Lebanon: corruption won a new round

Beirut: The head of the interim government in Lebanon, Hassan Diab, said that corruption won a new round, in the context of an international audit firm that announced its withdrawal from the audit of the accounts of the Central Bank of Lebanon.
On Friday, Diab added, according to what the official Lebanese agency said, “They thwarted the criminal investigation. Corruption won a new round. We will not give up. The will of the Lebanese must prevail.”
The Presidency of the Lebanese Republic had previously said that the international company “Álvarez y Misal”, which a few months ago assumed the task of auditing the accounts and files of the Central Bank of Lebanon, withdrew from the task entrusted to it.
The company justified the suspension of its work, not having obtained the required information and documents, and its uncertainty of reaching said information, despite having obtained at the beginning of November of this year to extend its work for three months to receive the required documents.
On November 3, Diab demanded that the central bank hand over all the documents to the auditing company, considering any attempt to hinder the audit, classified as a company responsible for causing the suffering of the Lebanese people financially, economically and in life.
“The wall of corruption is very thick and very high for reform,” Diab said Friday. We will keep trying until we tear down this wall, which confiscates the hopes of the Lebanese people for a state that triumphs over corruption.
He added: “We know that the corruption system will not give up easily, and we know that this system will fight fiercely to protect itself. But I’m sure this system will eventually go down.
Last July, the Lebanese government agreed to seek the assistance of the Álvarez y Marsal company to carry out the criminal investigation of the Central Bank’s accounts.
And criminal scrutiny, such as a request from international donors, that may help Lebanon through its financial ordeal, especially after it defaulted on its debts, and in light of the economic crisis that has plagued the country for months.

Anatolia