NNA – Kataeb Party Leader, MP Sami Gemayel, on Thursday filed through his attorney, Lara Saade, for a judicial review before the State Shura Council to compel the Minister of Finance to hand over the preliminary forensic audit report by Alvarez amp; Marsal on the accounts and activities of the Central Bank of Lebanon.nbsp;
Finance Minister Youssef Khalil had previously issued a decision on July 13th, refusing Gemayel#39;s request to disclose the results of the report and provide a copy of it.nbsp;
The filed review is based on the violation of the minister#39;s decision to the Right to Access Information law and the principle of separation of powers, balance, and cooperation as stipulated in the Lebanese Constitution.nbsp;nbsp;
It also emphasizes the inadmissibility of invoking the report#39;s confidentiality in the face of the Lebanese people and their representatives, as the audit was financed using public funds.nbsp;
The review strongly argues that withholding the report#39;s findings constitutes blatant mismanagement of public funds, contradicting the primary purpose for which the company was commissionedmdash;to uncover discrepancies in the accounts and activities of the central bank, identify sources of malfunction and mismanagement, assess losses and responsibilities, and enable relevant authorities and decision-makers to develop plans, budgets, laws, and policies to address the ongoing financial and monetary crisis based on accurate and specific data, far from assumptions and relative estimates.nbsp;
Gemayel urged the State Shura Council to oblige the Ministry of Finance to provide him with a copy of the preliminary report, send it to the Parliament, and publish it on the ministry#39;s official website.nbsp;
This step aims to empower Lebanese citizens, who have the full right to know the reasons behind the financial and monetary collapse and the seizure of their assets, to access the report#39;s contents and findings.–agencies
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