This is just confusing. But I guess it's what happens when you have a convicted felon and international fugitive set up as the leading local politician, and kidnappers and bribe-takers as support staff.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
Government Refuses to Release Iraqi Billions
Probe of seized dinars continues
by Elie Hourani
The Lebanon Daily Star
The Lebanese government said Saturday that it would not return billions of Iraqi dinars seized last week at Beirut Airport pending further investigation.
Specifically, Lebanese officials demanded proof that the money was brought to cover a legal contract between Lebanese businessman Mohammed Issam Bu Darwish and the Iraqi Interior Ministry.
About 19.5 billion Iraqi new dinars, roughly equal to $12 million, were intercepted at Beirut Airport Wednesday. Three people, including Bu Darwish, have been held on suspicion of attempting to smuggle the money as part of a plan to undermine the country’s domestic stability.
State Prosecutor Adnan Addoum will decide Monday the fate of the three detainees: Bu Darwish, an alleged former Amal Movement official; Richard Jreisati, a former official in the Lebanese Forces; and Michel Mukattaf, owner of the Mukattaf Exchange Company and son-in-law of former President Amin Gemayel.
[Contrary to earlier reports published in The Daily Star, newly released information suggests that Mukattaf is innocent and will be released on Monday.]
Investigations and information provided by the Iraqi Interior Ministry showed that Bu Darwish brought the cash to Lebanon and was planning to have it exchanged through Mukattaf’s company.
Baabda MP Pierre Gemayel criticized Addoum, saying that Mukattaf was involved in the matter for political reasons.
“We have provided various documents showing that there has been nothing illegal about this whole matter,” he told The Daily Star on Sunday.
Gemayel said that Addoum was provided documents issued by the Iraqi Interior Ministry as well as other documents that would clear Mukattaf.
“Now he says he needs the documents to be certified by the Foreign Affairs Ministry … the next thing he is going to ask for is a letter from bin Laden approved by US officials,” he said.
After a lengthy hearing with the suspects on Saturday, Addoum headed a meeting at his office that was later joined by the Iraqi Charge D’Affaires in Beirut, Tahseen Ulwan Eina. According to a judicial source, Addoum said after the meeting that Beirut “respects Iraqi authorities, but insists on receiving official documents.”
Eina said Baghdad authorities would provide the requested documents within 24 hours, the source said.
Addoum said the issue was judicial and the men would remain in custody until Monday because the operation took place without an official manifest and the Lebanese Customs Department was not aware of the transfer. The state prosecutor said that the freedom to move money in and out of the country was conditional and Lebanese authorities should have been notified in light of the large amount.
Addoum said that a copy of his findings on the affair had already been sent to the Central Bank. He added that he was skeptical of the reasons given for the undocumented transfer of such a large amount of money.
The Iraqi Interior Ministry sent a memo to the Lebanese Interior Ministry on Saturday confirming Bu Darwish’s claims that the money was payment for a contract with a British company for the “urgent delivery of sophisticated equipment aimed at dealing with the precarious security situation in Iraq.” A spokesman for the Iraqi ministry said the contract was signed in Baghdad but the British firm decided it would be easier to change the cash in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, a letter from Iraqi Interior Minister Nuri Badran calling for the release of the cash and the detainees was published in the Lebanese daily An-Nahar on Saturday.
“This money belongs to the company Laru Ltd., which is currently implementing urgent contracts for the Iraqi Interior Ministry,” the letter said. Laru is a security company owned by Bu Darwish.
Several Lebanese newspapers quoted Bu Darwish on Saturday as telling investigators that the money was to pay mainly for armored cars that would be used to protect Iraqi officials.
Iraqi central bank officials conceded that large quantities of the new currency, the easily transported 25,000 dinar notes in particular, were being smuggled to neighboring countries.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Wonder if I could bluster my way through getting caught with a suitcase stuffed with eight figures in those new Queer Eye for the Hickory Guy $20's we've got coming out.
Phaedrus
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
Government Refuses to Release Iraqi Billions
Probe of seized dinars continues
by Elie Hourani
The Lebanon Daily Star
The Lebanese government said Saturday that it would not return billions of Iraqi dinars seized last week at Beirut Airport pending further investigation.
Specifically, Lebanese officials demanded proof that the money was brought to cover a legal contract between Lebanese businessman Mohammed Issam Bu Darwish and the Iraqi Interior Ministry.
About 19.5 billion Iraqi new dinars, roughly equal to $12 million, were intercepted at Beirut Airport Wednesday. Three people, including Bu Darwish, have been held on suspicion of attempting to smuggle the money as part of a plan to undermine the country’s domestic stability.
State Prosecutor Adnan Addoum will decide Monday the fate of the three detainees: Bu Darwish, an alleged former Amal Movement official; Richard Jreisati, a former official in the Lebanese Forces; and Michel Mukattaf, owner of the Mukattaf Exchange Company and son-in-law of former President Amin Gemayel.
[Contrary to earlier reports published in The Daily Star, newly released information suggests that Mukattaf is innocent and will be released on Monday.]
Investigations and information provided by the Iraqi Interior Ministry showed that Bu Darwish brought the cash to Lebanon and was planning to have it exchanged through Mukattaf’s company.
Baabda MP Pierre Gemayel criticized Addoum, saying that Mukattaf was involved in the matter for political reasons.
“We have provided various documents showing that there has been nothing illegal about this whole matter,” he told The Daily Star on Sunday.
Gemayel said that Addoum was provided documents issued by the Iraqi Interior Ministry as well as other documents that would clear Mukattaf.
“Now he says he needs the documents to be certified by the Foreign Affairs Ministry … the next thing he is going to ask for is a letter from bin Laden approved by US officials,” he said.
After a lengthy hearing with the suspects on Saturday, Addoum headed a meeting at his office that was later joined by the Iraqi Charge D’Affaires in Beirut, Tahseen Ulwan Eina. According to a judicial source, Addoum said after the meeting that Beirut “respects Iraqi authorities, but insists on receiving official documents.”
Eina said Baghdad authorities would provide the requested documents within 24 hours, the source said.
Addoum said the issue was judicial and the men would remain in custody until Monday because the operation took place without an official manifest and the Lebanese Customs Department was not aware of the transfer. The state prosecutor said that the freedom to move money in and out of the country was conditional and Lebanese authorities should have been notified in light of the large amount.
Addoum said that a copy of his findings on the affair had already been sent to the Central Bank. He added that he was skeptical of the reasons given for the undocumented transfer of such a large amount of money.
The Iraqi Interior Ministry sent a memo to the Lebanese Interior Ministry on Saturday confirming Bu Darwish’s claims that the money was payment for a contract with a British company for the “urgent delivery of sophisticated equipment aimed at dealing with the precarious security situation in Iraq.” A spokesman for the Iraqi ministry said the contract was signed in Baghdad but the British firm decided it would be easier to change the cash in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, a letter from Iraqi Interior Minister Nuri Badran calling for the release of the cash and the detainees was published in the Lebanese daily An-Nahar on Saturday.
“This money belongs to the company Laru Ltd., which is currently implementing urgent contracts for the Iraqi Interior Ministry,” the letter said. Laru is a security company owned by Bu Darwish.
Several Lebanese newspapers quoted Bu Darwish on Saturday as telling investigators that the money was to pay mainly for armored cars that would be used to protect Iraqi officials.
Iraqi central bank officials conceded that large quantities of the new currency, the easily transported 25,000 dinar notes in particular, were being smuggled to neighboring countries.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Wonder if I could bluster my way through getting caught with a suitcase stuffed with eight figures in those new Queer Eye for the Hickory Guy $20's we've got coming out.
Phaedrus
