Lebanese President Michel Aoun called Tuesday for activating the work of the judiciary and following up on accusations against officials.
Meanwhile, the Progressive Socialist Party questioned those accusations finally made under the category of "illicit enrichment" and considered that Aoun's era "is a disaster for Lebanon."
On Tuesday, Aoun met with the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Suhail Abboud, and a number of members of the Council to discuss the judicial situation and the work of the courts in Lebanon.
Aoun asserted the need to activate judicial work and expedite the consideration of pending cases before courts.
He called on the judiciary not to be affected by political and media campaigns that target some judges, especially since the judiciary’s role is essential in the fight against corruption and the prosecution of perpetrators.
“The judiciary is the last resort for citizens in search of justice, in order to achieve justice and preserve rights,” the President said.
Aoun’s words came at a time when media reports were published recently about corruption at various official levels, a development that the PSP saw as selective and as a result of pressure on the judiciary. On Tuesday, PSP MP Bilal Abdullah launched an attack on the President and the "Free Patriotic Movement", describing it as "the Orange Movement.”
Recent reports accused PSP-affiliated employees and ministers who headed the Ministry of the Displaced of corruption.
However, Abdullah said those accusations are merely an attempt to undermine his political team and were prepared by secret rooms at the Presidential Palace.
"We have no objection to accountability for any corrupt officials at any sector, including the Ministry of the Displaced,” he said.
The MP added: "We know that this file was a thorny file, a file related to the internal national reconciliation, and surely there were violations. We do not hide this issue, but we will not allow the malicious selectivity practiced by some current and former ministers to undermine the political team we represent, with our respect to the so-called fighting corruption issue.”
Abdullah pointed out that the Illicit Enrichment Law has not appointed a commission yet, asking: “Is it permissible to investigate the file of a person who died ten years ago? This selectivity has been exercised by pressure on the judiciary, and we know the secret room in the Republican Palace, who manages it, and how it selectively approaches."
He stressed that any accused, whether a PSP member or not, who proves to be corrupt, should be imprisoned.
Abdullah called for all files to be opened and hoped for the just judiciary, the Supreme Judicial Council, and the Public Prosecutor to take the issue of corruption properly and accurately.
The department of cases at the Justice Ministry had filed a complaint with the Public Prosecution of the Cassation, against 17 employees of the Ministry of Displaced Persons for the crime of illicit enrichment. It is known that in the past years, the Ministry of the Displaced was mostly headed by a minister affiliated with the PSP.
Also on Tuesday, PSP MP Wael Abu Faour described President Aoun's era as a disaster for Lebanon. Abu Faour said in a television interview, "The objective evaluation of President Aoun's experience says that it was catastrophic for Lebanon and destroyed what was left of the national unity," considering that "Gebran Bassil is the secret of the president of the republic and cannot be separated from him."
He added that Aoun’s presidential era has particularly damaged Lebanon's international relations, saying that no Arab country is willing to back the country.
