Picture of the specialized committee (Credit: Karim Daher.)
BEIRUT — Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar has received a key reform report on May 7 from a specialized committee tasked with implementing corrective measures under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) action plan aimed at removing Lebanon from the FATF’s grey list, according to a press release issued by the committee on Thursday.
Chaired by lawyer Karim Daher, the committee includes former judge Jean Tannous, judge Rana Akoum, lawyer Lara Saadeh, Mohammad al-Mughbit, and Mohammad al-Fahili.
The report identified deficiencies in Lebanon’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework, with a particular focus on those related to the Special Investigation Commission, judicial bodies, international cooperation and the Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) amongst others.
Among the key recommendations are proposals to strengthen the Ministry’s institutional capabilities, improve the role of the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Cassation and the judicial police, enhance international legal cooperation, and tighten supervision of notaries and the commercial registry.
The committee emphasized that the proposals are part of Lebanon’s broader national strategy to combat financial crimes and uphold the rule of law – not merely “mechanical responses to external recommendations”.