The headquarters of the Beirut municipality. (Credit: National News Agency)
Financial Prosecutor Maher Cheaito on Monday ordered the continued detention of the Beirut municipal treasurer, Khodr Bou Aram, who was arrested last Thursday by State Security as part of an investigation launched after the withdrawal of $330,000 from the municipality’s funds.
“State Security has completed the preliminary investigations it has been conducting since last Friday with the Beirut municipality treasurer, Khodr Bou Aram, under the supervision of Financial Prosecutor Judge Maher Cheaito,” reported the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
The prosecutor “ordered his arrest after confirming a significant shortfall in the treasury’s funds and closed the investigation, paving the way for prosecution and for his referral to Beirut’s first investigating judge.”
According to Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar, the Court of Audit opened an investigation on Wednesday into the reasons behind the withdrawal of $330,000. The amount, which was reportedly withdrawn from the municipality’s funds without the approval of the municipal council or the capital’s governor, Marwan Abboud, was actually intended as compensation for around 20 officers of Beirut’s fire brigade. The payment stems from a legal quagmire dating back to 2019.
The payment is linked to a longstanding dispute over unpaid fuel vouchers for the fire brigade, which have been suspended since 2019 because of Lebanon’s economic crisis. Despite a 2023 State Council ruling ordering the officers' compensation, the municipality delayed payment, prompting complaints and legal action from the officers' lawyer, Mohammad Jaafil.
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