Mikati takes sides with banks in the face of justice (Hussein Beydoun)
The Association of Lebanese Depositors went to the judiciary in Beirut to issue an expedited decision to oblige Lebanese Banks Association Not to strike, and to open its doors to depositors to benefit from the services they contracted to provide.
And the Association of Depositors considered in a statement today, Saturday, that “this strike falls under the category of abuse of the right, since its aim is to blackmail the judiciary, depositors and the state and pressure towards evading accountability, evading responsibility and is practiced in bad faith without any goal other than Damage to the rights of depositors humanitarian, social and economic.
The bank strike, which it announced that it will carry out on the next Monday and Tuesday, comes following the pace of Judicial decisions Which affects major banks and bankers and has reached the point of forced execution to pay deposits to people, freeze assets, and prevent travel.
Judicial decisions finally knocked on the door Brother of the Central Bank Governor Salameh requested his arrest by the Public Prosecutor of Mount Lebanon, Judge Ghada Aoun, who ordered the governor to appear before her on charges of illicit enrichment, money laundering, and squandering public money.
she decided #Lebanon_Banks_Association announcement #strike Warning on Monday March 21, 2022 and Tuesday March 22, 2022 as a first step to alert and raise awareness of the seriousness of the current situation, calling for correcting the current imbalance and issuing the Capital Control Law as soon as possible and approving a recovery plan and starting its implementation
— Association of Banks in Lebanon – ABL (@ABLLebanon) March 18, 2022
It was noticeable today, Saturday, that Prime Minister Najib Mikati sided with the banks by threatening the judiciary. Where he announced that if the judges did not respond (with regard to stopping the prosecution of bankers), especially the Public Prosecutor of Cassation, then “Minshilo Aalbet” or what means his dismissal from his position.
Today, Mikati held a government session to discuss the latest judicial developments, accompanied by a protest movement carried out by depositors in front of the entrance to the Grand Serail, in rejection of the scheme to “eliminate the judiciary” in order to protect the banks.
In conjunction with Mikati’s call for today’s session, Judge Aoun tweeted, “A government wants to establish a mechanism for judicial dealings with banks, which means that we must give them the arc of the court to sit in our place and decide for us how the law is applied. It is possible that they apply it to those who steal a bicycle, but beware of applying it to those who steal.” Country. So, the judges of Lebanon, rise up for your dignity, rise up for the rule of law, to protect the weak and protect justice.”
The government wants to put in place a mechanism for judicial dealings with the banks. I mean, we have to give them the arc of the court. They sit in our shop and decide for us how the law is applied. It is possible that they apply to those who steal a bicycle, but more broadly to those who steal a country….. So, the judges of Lebanon, rise up for your dignity, rise up for the rule of law to protect the weak and to protect the weak. Justice. .
— Ghada Aoun (@ghadaaoun4) March 18, 2022
Despite Mikati’s invitation to the staff of the judicial body to listen to them today in the “extraordinary session,” they did not attend, and the prime minister justified this by saying that “Justice Minister Henry Khoury called him yesterday, Friday, and wished that the dialogue would continue between the ministers, and when he would present the vision he creates for judicial reforms.” And the proper functioning of the judicial body will be with us at the hearing so that we can listen to them.”
And Mikati added, “Nothing prevents the Council of Ministers from inviting the head of the Supreme Judicial Council, the Public Prosecutor of Cassation, and the head of the Judicial Inspection to listen to them, so whoever appointed them can request them.”
In response to journalists’ questions regarding depositors recovering their money from banks, Mikati said, “Within the economic recovery plan developed by the committee charged with negotiating with the International Monetary Fund headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, the issue was raised, and regarding 90 percent of the total number of depositors in banks will have their money guaranteed. by the Lebanese state and it will be paid to them, and these are the small depositors.”
On the expected procedure if the staff of the judiciary did not cooperate, and whether their dismissal is on the table, especially among them the Public Prosecutor of Cassation, he replied: “Nothing is unthinkable, and nothing prevents.”
Mikati added, “We affirmed a previously taken decision assigning the Minister of Justice to develop a vision to address the judicial situation and to address any defects that might occur and present it to the Cabinet soon.”
The Council of Ministers also instructed the Minister of Finance to request the Banque du Liban to immediately take the necessary measures to not specify withdrawal ceilings for national pensions and salaries with banks.
Mikati pointed out that “during the session, we were informed by the Deputy Prime Minister, His Excellency Al-Shami, the speed of work on the completion of the draft recovery plan and the draft laws associated with it in preparation for its presentation and approval by the House of Representatives, and we wished the Parliament to expedite the approval of the Capital Control project.”
The Prime Minister considered that today’s session is not dedicated to protecting the banks or the person who is the governor of the Banque du Liban, but rather to protect institutions and the country, to preserve balances and prevent access to a place where we lose all sectors.
In response to the accusations leveled once morest the Council of Ministers of interfering in the work of the judiciary, Mikati affirmed that with the principle of separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary, but there is balance, integration and cooperation between the authorities, and when we see that the balance no longer exists, then we meet to restore balance to the judiciary.
On a related level, Mikati called on the Association of Banks to be at the national level with which we know it, and not to go to negative matters, but rather to positive ones, and cooperate to get out of the crisis.
Mikati stopped at the lawsuits filed once morest the banks and the decisions issued by them and imposed for seizure on them, and said, “We should not be happy with the seizures on banks and these “movements” because those who carry out the lawsuits are the largest depositors and if they put their hands on the money, nothing will remain for the small depositors, from here our goal Restore the situation to its proper framework to ensure full rights, especially for small depositors.
During the session, Minister of Labor Mustafa Bayram (Hezbollah’s government share) stopped when there was a suspicion in the public opinion that the government moved to protect banks and did not move for the sake of depositors and people’s rights, noting that the treatment should extend to addressing the productive causes of the crisis, the first of which is protecting the rights of people and depositors. Those who have been exposed to bad credit and have no business to bear the burden of what happened between the banks, the Banque du Liban and the politicians.
Noting that the same government that “revolted” today did not move to obstruct the investigations into the explosion in the port of Beirut and the work of the judicial investigator, Judge Tariq Al-Bitar, but rather stalled for months, acquiescing to the threats of the ministers of “Hezbollah” and “Amal Movement”, and no session was held for a long time despite the required speed. To move and approve the financial recovery plan that the international bodies are waiting for, and to curb the comprehensive collapse.
In conjunction with the talk yesterday regarding the intention of the Council of Ministers to suspend judicial decisions issued once morest banks, their board chairmen and the brother of the Governor of the Banque du Liban, Riad Salameh, the “Depositors Association” carried out a remarkable campaign by sending a text message to all ministers in the Mikati government assuring them that “any minister contributes to a decision He who protects those who humiliate people will be considered by us as a bank employee and will be treated on this basis.”
#Council of Ministers Tomorrow is heading to protect banks in the face of the judiciary.
We sent the following message to all ministers:
“Ministers,
We warn you once morest taking decisions that protect banks.
“Any minister who contributes to a decision that protects those who humiliate people will be considered by us as a bank employee, and will be treated accordingly.#depositors_association pic.twitter.com/hiphQvFhzX— Depositors Union (@bdalebanon) March 18, 2022
According to the information of Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, only the Minister of the Displaced, Issam Sharaf Al-Din, responded to the letter, emphasizing that he is one of the followers of this file and that he stands by the depositors, noting that the minister is known for his continuous confrontations in the Council of Ministers, especially with Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
Energy Minister Walid Fayyad also replied that he would not attend because he was traveling outside the country. Noting that the meeting was also absent from the meeting, the Minister of Social Affairs, Hector Hajjar, and the Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamiyah.
