Indictment Issued against Former HRC Chief, Wife on Corruption Charges

Beirut First Investigative Judge Ghassan Oueidat on Tuesday issued an indictment against Higher Relief Council chief Ibrahim Bashir and his wife on fraud charges, the state-run National News Agency reported.

"Oueidat issued an indictment against Bashir and his wife on charges of embezzlement of public funds and of accepting bribes at the HRC,” the NNA detailed.

In Novmeber 2013, Acting General Prosecutor Judge Samir Hammoud ordered the arrest of Bashir and his wife for their alleged embezzlement of public funds.

Bashir and his wife were also charged in February with embezzlement of public funds and bribery linked to the boat that sank off Indonesia in late September.

The asylum-seekers were reportedly the victims of people smugglers.

And in March 2014, Owaidat issued arrest warrants in absentia against Bashir's two sons, Wissam and Sami, for being involved in the embezzlement of state funds, smuggling and money laundering.

Local media reports said they have embezzled around $10 million in public funds by transferring them to accounts abroad.

Oueidat also issued another indictment on Tuesday against Rabih Mohammed Qobaissi and Hisham Mahmoud al-Fayad for setting ablaze documents related to the work of the National Social Security Fund.

Arrest warrants were issued against six NSSF employees in March on charges of embezzlement of public funds, counterfeiting documents and incitement to commit arson inside the NSSF branch in the Beirut neighborhood of Wata el-Msaytbeh.

S.D.B.

Y.R.