Original version

خدمة إخبارية أخبار وتحليلات وحوارات وبرامج وثائقية، على مدار الساعة

تلفزيون بي بي سي عربي

Lebanon - A Web of Corruption

النشرة اليومية لفيروس كورونا 

Lebanon - A Web of Corruption: 02/05/2023 16:05 GMT: 25/04/2023 19:05 GMT

02/05/2023 16:05 GMT

02/05/2023 16:05 GMT: 25/04/2023 19:05 GMT

الرئيسية - BBC News عربي

BBC News Arabic investigates allegations involving multi-million dollar agreements, bribery, and shipments of substandard oil imported to fuel Lebanon's power stations.

Lebanon is a country in crisis. The devastating explosion of August 2020 was a symptom, rather than the cause of the country’s plight. Hunger and despair now dominate the lives of more than half the population, while the depreciation of the national currency has led to hyperinflation. At the heart of the crisis is Lebanon's dysfunctional electricity sector, responsible for almost half of the country's national debt. Power cuts can last up to 22 hours a day, yet the industry costs billions to operate and has never delivered a consistent supply of electricity. . 
In Lebanon: A Web of Corruption, BBC News Arabic investigates allegations involving multi-million dollar agreements, bribery, and shipments of substandard oil imported to fuel Lebanon's power stations. In March 2020 a shipment of contaminated oil arrived on board a tanker called the Baltic. Government testing laboratories declared its cargo to be 'on spec', but independent tests later found the oil contained sediments 42 times greater than permitted. A corruption investigation began, the biggest in the history of Lebanon’s energy sector.
This led to the eventual indictment of, and legal proceedings against, a number of individuals and corporate bodies. The film reports on these proceedings, looks at how they have progressed and discusses what is widely believed to be the politicisation of Lebanon’s judiciary and judicial system. It also tells the fullest account so far of the Baltic's contaminated shipment. It looks at how the country's political system is undermined by sectarian division, and notes that political parties compete for control of the most important - and lucrative - ministries.
The film investigates a connection between Gebran Bassil, a former Lebanese Foreign Minister, and Mario La Sala, an international lobbyist who arranged a series of meetings for Bassil with senior American politicians. La Sala was allegedly paid for this by a sister company of one of the companies importing oil into Lebanon. The company said it did not engage in any activities to promote the Minister. Mr Bassil denied to BBC News Arabic through his lawyer that he knew La Sala, but the film includes a photograph of the two men dining together. Mr Bassil is also the subject of US sanctions for his alleged systematic corruption. Mr Bassil told BBC News Arabic that the American sanctions are just part of a wider political game and he was considering legal options.
In addition, Lebanon: A Web of Corruption shows how burning contaminated fuel oil may have consequences that go far beyond damage caused to power plants. The film reveals an exceptionally high incidence of cancers among people living close to one of the country's biggest power stations, and examines possible links to airborne carcinogens produced by the contaminated fuel. BBC News Arabic has invited Lebanon's Ministry of Energy to comment on these findings but has not yet received a reply.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Lebanon - A Web of Corruption

02/05/2023 16:05 GMT: 25/04/2023 19:05 GMT

Brand

تلفزيون بي بي سي عربي

About تلفزيون بي بي سي عربي