November 5, 2026
As part of a presidential move to protect the health and safety of citizens, the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, asked the Cassation Public Prosecutor, Judge Ahmed Rami Al-Hajj, to be strict in prosecuting those involved in crimes of fraud and trafficking in medicines, food, and spoiled meat, and to take strict judicial measures against the perpetrators of these crimes.
President Aoun stressed the need to strengthen coordination between the Cassation Public Prosecution and the relevant ministries and departments, to ensure the integration of judicial and supervisory efforts to ensure the protection of food and drug safety, and to deter any violations that endanger the health of consumers.
This move comes in light of the escalation of official interest in the food safety issue, following the detection of cases of food fraud in both Beirut and Akkar. The President of the Republic had previously stressed that protecting safe food constitutes a fundamental responsibility of the state, stressing that accountability must extend to all those involved without exception, starting from the supplier and warehouses, all the way to the entities that may provide cover for violators.
In the same context, President Aoun called for going beyond the procedure of limiting the closure of violating institutions after the damage has occurred, calling for the adoption of a comprehensive periodic inspection mechanism covering the various stages of the food supply chain. Starting from imports and slaughterhouses, through to warehouses and means of transportation, all the way to restaurants and unlicensed establishments.
The President of the Republic’s directives to the Cassation Public Prosecutor fall within the framework of diligent follow-up of this file, with a focus on activating judicial prosecution and integration with the relevant authorities to avert risks to food and drug security and protect public health.
