Former State Security chief Tony Saliba prosecuted for misuse of public funds

BEIRUT — A complaint filed by three activist lawyers against former State Security chief, retired General Tony Saliba, for "misuse of public funds, illicit enrichment and influence peddling," has been referred to Beirut investigating judge Hassan Hamdane, according to information from L’Orient-Le Jour.

Initially, the investigation was conducted by acting financial prosecutor Dora al-Khazen. The new prosecutor, Maher Cheaito, transferred the case to Beirut's first investigating judge, Roula Osmane, who in turn referred it to investigating judge Hassan Hamdane, who has set a hearing for General Saliba on Oct. 28.

The proceedings initiated by the prosecutor before the transfer were based on a request to open a judicial inquiry submitted last March by lawyers Ali Abbas, Wassef Harakeh and Jad Tohmeh, as well as retired army general Sami Rammah.

The financial prosecutor pressed charges against the former State Security chief for "misuse of public funds, influence peddling and illicit enrichment."

The request to open an investigative file mentioned "the allocation of hundreds of State Security vehicles to party leaders, former ministers and former MPs, current MPs, businessmen, socialites, along with all the fuel and maintenance such allocation requires."

"All this was done in exchange for huge sums," the document adds. The request also specified that General Saliba made hundreds of State Security agents available to these individuals.