US sanctions against Basil under the umbrella of “Magnitsky”

On Friday, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Treasury imposed sanctions on the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, under the “Executive Order 13818” that activates the “Magnitsky Act” and aims, according to the American expression , “Corruption and serious human rights violations around the world.”

In a statement, the Treasury Department announced that it would freeze all assets belonging to Basil in the United States of America, whether directly or partially owned.

Commenting on the sanctions imposed on Bassil, US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin said: “The systematic corruption in the Lebanese political system, which Bassil represented, helped to undermine the foundations of an effective government that serves the Lebanese people. (…) and therefore this classification (sanctions) clarifies that the United States supports the Lebanese people in their continuous calls for reform and accountability.

The statement noted that “successive governments have failed to stop rising inflation, reduce the country’s mounting debt, improve failed infrastructure, or ensure that electricity and other services reach the homes of Lebanese (…) The social and economic conditions of the Lebanese continue to deteriorate, the leaders Politicians are isolated from the crisis and are not implementing the necessary reforms.

The US Department noted that “Bassil held various high-level positions in the Lebanese government, including the position of Minister of Communications, Minister of Energy and Water, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates,” adding that he “strengthened his political base by appointing friends to positions and buying other forms of influence within Lebanese political circles. ».

The statement considered that Basil “in 2014, when he was Minister of Energy, participated in the approval of several projects that would direct the funds of the Lebanese government to people close to him through a group of companies that constitute an exclusive front for them.”

He said that the classification (sanctions) occurred because “Basilio is responsible or an accomplice, or was directly or indirectly involved in corruption, including the misappropriation of state property and the confiscation of private property for personal gain, or corruption cases related to government contracts, extraction of natural resources or bribes. ».