Minister @MarieClaudeNajm, @Hassan_B_Diab revealed that $5.7 bn were transferred out of the country recently. This is an opportunity to show that the Govt is serious about accountability. Start by sending the Swiss Min. of Justice an official request for mutual legal assistance.

The Swiss authorities simply need a letter from the Lebanese Ministry of Justice with the names of suspected individual and the reason for suspicion, which could be as simple as the person is a Politically Exposed Person (who are not allowed to have accounts in Switzerland).

The Swiss would then launch an investigation and *freeze* accounts that meet certain criteria. After that, the Lebanese justice system can investigate further and any funds that are determined to be ill-gained will be returned to the Lebanese treasury.

The last Minister of Justice in the caretaker Govt sent such a letter in December. However, the request was for one individual and one transaction, and it was so poorly drafted that there was no way for the Swiss to act on it.

The Swiss explained this to the then-Minister and even gave him a template and explained how to fill it out and what to fill out. All he had to do was sign it and return it to them. The Swiss embassy never heard back from him.

The current Government has not made any such requests. One small step to show goodwill to the Lebanese people is to submit requests for MLA to Switzerland and other relevant jurisdictions. There are plenty of Lebanese lawyers who are willing to help. This is an easy first step.

The Swiss embassy and I’m sure others are eager to help. We just need to send an official request. It’s one small step but it will earn you a ton of goodwill and show courage. Please do it.

For clarity, PEP accounts in these jurisdictions may have been opened illegally without going through the proper disclosure processes. This makes them easier to target so long as the Govt provides a list of names. It is an easy first step.

https://twitter.com/thoughts_legal/status/1253766024010387463?s=21 https://twitter.com/thoughts_legal/status/1253766024010387463