Public works committee to meet Thursday on airport new terminal

The Observatoire Européen pour l’Integrité du Liban said Wednesday that it has informed the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau of Ireland of the case related to the construction of a new terminal in the Beirut airport.

"We’ll make sure that the case will be followed closely," OEIL said.

In a letter to Garda National Economic Crime Bureau, OEIL said that the mutual agreement between an Irish company and the Lebanese Ministry of Transportation bypassed the laws that require a bidding process.

Lebanon will construct a $122 million terminal at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport to be operated by a leading Irish airport company when it's completed in four years.

The project has been criticized by many media outlets and political parties, including the Lebanese Forces.

LF lawmaker Ghassan Hasbani said Wednesday that a caretaker government should not make any commitments.

"It is not true that the project will not cost any money, the state will lose the profits that it could have gained if a tender was made according to the law," Hasbani said.

The parliamentary public works committee will convene tomorrow, Thursday, to discuss the contracting process of the airport's new terminal.

Caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh said Wednesday, after he met with independent MP Waddah Sadek, that the contract was made according to the airport charges Law issued on 3/19/1974 and its amendments, and that there won't be any cost on the treasury.

"Everything has become clear to me, and I will participate in the Public Works and Transportation Committee session tomorrow," Sadek said after the meeting.