:
In an important judicial development, the fuel issue entered a new phase of accountability, as the first case related to wasting public money was registered during the era of Energy Minister Joe Siddi. The facts reveal a completely different path from the narrative that accompanied the prosecution of corruption whistleblowers, led by engineer Fawzi Meshlab, whose reports were the starting point for this judicial path.
In this context, the Financial Public Prosecutor, Judge Maher Shaito, brought charges against Iplom International SA, which is represented in Lebanon by Khalil Khoury, on charges of wasting public money, based on Article 112 of the Public Procurement Law, Articles 110 and 210 of the Penal Code, in addition to Decree 156/1983, after long investigations that lasted for several months as a result of a report submitted by Engineer Fawzi Meshleb in September 2025.
The prosecution was accompanied by a request to seize bank guarantees and company receivables worth $12 million, which indicates the extent of the violations and potential damage to the public treasury. It is estimated that penalties could reach up to 3 years in prison and fines ranging from two to three times the value of the tankers, i.e. tens of millions of dollars, and include the supplying company and officials in the Ministry of Energy.
The claim relies on several basic legal articles, most notably Article 112 of the Public Procurement Law, which punishes violations of the rules of tendering, transparency, and equal opportunities, including preventing those involved from participating in government deals and prosecuting them criminally. It is also based on Article 110 of the Penal Code, which relates to wasting public funds as a result of abuse of power or negligence, in addition to Article 210, which expands the circle of responsibility to include everyone who contributed, intervened, or facilitated the commission of the crime, making all parties involved vulnerable to prosecution and punishment.
The facts show that the company supplied several shipments of Russian fuel oil between February and July 2025, the price of which was paid by the Ministry of Energy during Minister Joe Seddi’s tenure at prices exceeding the ceiling specified within the sanctions imposed on Russian oil, with a difference exceeding $6 million per tanker, which constitutes a clear violation of international restrictions and an additional waste of public money.
This claim is of particular importance because it constitutes a direct judicial response to the campaign that targeted engineer Fawzi Mashallab. Investigations showed that the information he provided was accurate and decisive, and contributed to protecting the Lebanese state from the repercussions of international sanctions, in addition to securing tens of millions of dollars as a result of uncovering violations.
The impact of this information also extended from the Hawk III tanker file to the Can Ka file, all the way to the current allegation, as part of what appears to be a recurring pattern of violations in the fuel import sector.
In this context, data showed that Lebanese Customs, in the Can Ka tanker file, and after the company was unable to prove the origin of the shipment, seized a performance bond worth $4 million to allow the tanker to leave, in parallel with expanding the investigation by corresponding with external authorities to verify the documents submitted.
On the other hand, engineer Fawzi Meshalab’s correspondence, which he previously published, reveals a complete contradiction with the accusations made against him. He did not request to stop dealing with Lebanon, as was said, but rather stressed the need to verify the basic origin of shipments, which prompted the Compliance Bank to amend its procedures and adopt more stringent auditing standards that prevent the fraudulent operations that were occurring in Turkish ports by issuing certificates of origin from Turkey that attribute the origin to other countries without attaching certificates of origin for those countries.
Information indicates that the Cassation Public Prosecutor, Judge Jamal Al-Hajjar, has several additional pieces of information related to similar files, which are still under study, in addition to other files with Lebanese Customs against a number of companies, which opens the door to expanding investigations in the next stage.
Legally, the relevant article in the Public Procurement Law stipulates that every employee or supervisor who overlooks violations or violates the terms of the contract shall be punished with imprisonment from one to three years, and a fine ranging between two and three times the value of the part for which he is responsible, with the penalty being increased in the event of repetition, in addition to the application of anti-corruption and illicit enrichment laws.
In conclusion, the fuel issue is no longer just a political or media controversy, but rather has turned into an open judicial test that reveals a whole path of violations, and places the Ministry of Energy directly responsible, at a crucial moment that may determine the course of accountability in one of the sectors that most drain public money in Lebanon.
