Majd Harb files lawsuit against Hezbollah for "illicit activities"

BEIRUT: Lebanese lawyer Majd Harb filed a lawsuit on Monday against Hezbollah for illicit activities, accusing the party of evasion from customs duty on goods entered illegally into Lebanon.

In his legal claim, Harb said: "the state's inability to establish its sovereignty over all Lebanese territory comes as a result of the illegal weapons’ presence and the endless corruption. This has led to the bankruptcy of the Lebanese state after its debts exceeded eighty billion US dollars and its inability to fulfill its international and local obligations. It was proven that the promises of the political authority about its determination to fight corruption are empty."

Harb stated that several reports indicate that the tax evasion in Lebanon has reached five billion US dollars annually with many companies, individuals, associations, and many political authorities including Hezbollah, who have violated tax laws causing tremendous damage to the treasury.

Harb highlighted that many international reports accused Hezbollah and have not been refuted yet. These accusations include the party’s budget reaching one billion dollars annually, the Secretary-General of the party admitted several times that individuals working with the political party were receiving their monthly pensions.

Whether or not the public financial prosecutor will open an investigation remains to be seen.