Najib Mikati, while he was still serving as caretaker prime minister in December 2024. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin)
Former Prime Minister Najib Mikati responded to information published by L’Orient-Le Jour, indicating that a preliminary investigation had been opened by the French National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) in Paris over the past week, based on a complaint filed by anti-corruption associations targeting him, his brother Taha and other members of his family.
In a statement drafted on his own behalf and that of his family, the former prime minister specified that he had not been officially notified of the opening of such proceedings and denounced the intention to take legal action against anyone attempting to "tarnish" his or his family's "reputation." "The complaint filed on April 2, 2024, before the French financial prosecutor by the association ‘Sherpa’ and other parties requires some clarifications from us to put things into context," the statement began.
"The source of the Mikati family's wealth is clear, legal and transparent. It results from long years of work and international investments in various sectors, all prior to any assumption of official positions or responsibilities in Lebanon. This wealth has always been acquired in compliance with international governance standards. We have always cooperated with the relevant authorities and provided all necessary documents certifying the legality of our activities," the statement continued.
Willing to cooperate
"We confirm that, so far, we have not received any official notice from the French judicial authorities, and that we only learned of the rumors regarding a complaint or the opening of a judicial investigation through the media. Of course, we have full confidence in the independence and seriousness of the French judiciary, and we are fully willing to provide any additional information that may be requested from us. We reaffirm our commitment to the fundamental principle of the presumption of innocence," they further stated. "We also denounce any political or opportunistic attempt to tarnish our reputation by repeating allegations that have already been rejected by various courts, and we reserve the right to prosecute anyone involved in the dissemination or propagation of misleading or false information," the authors concluded.
In April 2024, the French association Sherpa and the Collectif des victimes des pratiques frauduleuses et criminelles au Liban (CVPFL), which includes depositors harmed by the illegal withholding of their assets, filed this complaint for "money laundering," "receiving stolen goods" and "criminal conspiracy" against Mikati and several members of his family.
A year later, the two complainants sent the prosecutor a supplementary report describing in more detail the alleged fraudulent circumstances under which the Mikati family may have acquired their assets in France and abroad.
