Joseph Aoun calls on anti-corruption commission to 'fully assume its mission'

President Joseph Aoun urged the National Commission for Combating Corruption on Thursday to "fully assume its mission" as mandated by law, during a series of meetings held at the Baabda Palace.

"My main concern is the fight against corruption, which has infested state administrations to the point of becoming a culture. Only holding those responsible accountable can address it. I count on your role, as the commission must fully assume its mission. Act conscientiously and in accordance with the law, and do not hesitate to confront and denounce the corrupt so they can be brought to justice," he stated, as quoted by the state-run National News Agency (NNA).

"Lebanon is not a bankrupt country, but a plundered one, governed by people who have mismanaged its resources. Your role today is to correct this reality," he added during a meeting with a delegation representing the anti-corruption commission, led by Judge Claude Karam, who presented their activities since the commission's establishment. The commission, instituted by law No. 175 on May 8, 2020, took two years to be formed.

The head of state also met with a delegation from the Baalbeck-Hermel tribes, assuring them that they were also "children of the state." The tribes of this part of Lebanon, bordering Syria, since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on Dec. 8, 2024, have been in conflict with the new Syrian forces in power. Many displaced people fleeing the regime in Damascus have settled in this agricultural, poor, and remote region.

The head of the delegation, Talal Chammas, highlighted "the recent security challenges and the displacement of many Lebanese due to conflicts at the borders with Syria" and called on the presidency to "facilitate their return to their lands." Aoun mentioned contacts with Syrian authorities to resolve this crisis.