Lebanon PM Mikati among officials named in Pandora Papers

Mikati and other political and financial officials among hundreds of Lebanese listed in the offshore leak. Al Jazeera originally reported that Pandora Papers revealed that former Central Bank Deputy Governor Mohammad Baasiri co-owned an offshore company. Beirut, Lebanon – Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh are among several Lebanese political and financial officials named in the Pandora Papers with wealth hidden in offshore tax havens, at a time when millions of Lebanese people cannot access their savings in the banks. “Regrettably, the underlying logic behind the ‘Papers’ drifted toward transforming most, if not all, of those mentioned into ‘suspicious’ individuals &/or companies, by the mere fact of being listed in there – a logic that goes against the free-market business practices and good governance, in liberal economies, principles that the Mikati family defends.” Salameh, meanwhile, is the target of several investigations. Other Lebanese officials listed as wholly or partially owning offshore companies include Mikati’s predecessor Hassan Diab, businessman and former MP Neemat Frem, and Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer of Bank Audi Ibrahim Debs.