Lebanon charges firms over suspected fuel scam - Salam and update
Assalamu alaykum - Lebanon’s judiciary has brought charges against several companies and individuals and issued arrest warrants linked to an alleged scheme involving imported fuel that may have cost the country many millions, a judicial source said.
The Financial Public Prosecution charged six firms and four people with forging official papers and corruption leading to illicit gains, as part of the probe into a shipment delivered by the vessel Hawk III in August. Among the companies named were Sahara Energy Resources DMCC, Galileo Trading DMCC and SR Navigation SA, plus inspection firms, according to a judicial document seen by reporters.
Prosecutors asked for three arrest warrants for people present in the country and one in absentia. The inquiry is ongoing and has been referred to Beirut’s first investigative judge.
Sahara Energy has previously said it completed its contractual obligations for the fuel delivery and that it did not have operational control of the vessel. The Hawk III, which brought about 36,000 tonnes of fuel oil for Lebanon’s power plants, is suspected of carrying Russian oil disguised as Turkish to push prices up. Since 2023, Western caps on Russian oil prices have aimed to limit revenues that could fund war efforts.
A leaked contract suggested the shipment was sold to Lebanon for roughly $18 million - about $7 million above the price cap - and Lebanese investigators believe the fuel to be of Russian origin. Authorities say the shipment may be part of a wider sanctions-evasion network where traders allegedly used false shipping documents to hide origin and charged inflated prices, costing Lebanon tens of millions since 2023.
In September the Hawk III tried to leave Lebanese waters but was intercepted by the Lebanese army and has stayed anchored off the coast since. The head of the Public Procurement Authority recommended the Energy Ministry bar Sahara Energy from future tenders until a final judgment, following a whistleblower’s complaint and citing the scale of alleged violations and the tanker’s attempted departure.
Officials also froze performance bonds from companies suspected to be involved, while a separate inquiry into BB Energy DMCC has reportedly stalled despite earlier concerns that a certificate of origin was falsified to mask Russian origin as Egyptian. BB Energy denies wrongdoing and says it isn’t legally responsible for the vessel’s voyage until discharge in Lebanon.
The fuel was bought for state power plants run by Electricite du Liban, which continues to struggle to provide consistent electricity amid long-standing management and corruption problems.
May Allah guide the investigators to the truth and protect public resources. Please remember to verify news from official sources and keep an eye out for updates as the investigation continues.
https://www.thenationalnews.co