Bassil Shrugs off Red Diesel Corruption, Says Refineries Should be Rewarded Instead
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Energy Minister Jebran Bassil defended on Thursday oil refineries that have been accused of corruption saying they should be rewarded rather than questioned over the red diesel scandal.
In remarks to As Safir daily, Bassil said: “The oil refineries that are being accused of corruption and making illicit gains should be rewarded because they sold red diesel at a total amount that is less than what is allowed for and not more as is being rumored.”
The scandal erupted last week when reports said that the oil refinery in northern Lebanon delivered to oil and distribution companies 8 million liters of diesel oil hours before the end of a one-month government subsidy of LL3,000 that was initially aimed at helping poor families in cold areas to use the diesel for heating.
The companies have reportedly made millions of dollars in profits in the scam.
But Bassil stressed that the amount of red diesel sold in the last day of the subsidy deadline at midnight January 18 did not exceed the rate that was registered days earlier and which amounted to 7-8.5 million liters.
He also told An Nahar newspaper that judicial agencies should announce the results of their probe to find out whether the oil refineries were guilty or not so that they could either be held accountable or compensated.
The Audit Bureau questioned on Wednesday the directors general of oil refineries in Zahrani in southern Lebanon and Tripoli but decided to dispatch inspectors to the Deir Amar refinery in the north.
The head of the Bureau, Judge Aouni Ramadan, stressed on Thursday that the scandal only involved the refinery in the north. Zahrani escaped unscathed from the investigation into the alleged corruption.
26 January 2012, 09:58
12
Yes, confirmation to the mafia business, legally they can take and rob the people and government money by hiding the real truth over their failure to provide people with energy, despite the fact that Lebanon is very rich in energy resources but very poor with management and loaded with politician of the war era with blood and crimes history.
26 January 2012, 14:24
11
Bassil is a thief hiding behind Hizboulla's weapons and cheap slogans. He and his father in law should be tried for corruption and disloyalty to the country. enough is enough.
26 January 2012, 14:47
10
Of course he will just shrug off since he got his cut from corruptions he and pappy in law doing.who knows,maybe the fuel he is using for his jet is free too.true that in politics there many that are corrupted but not like this retarded,he is too good to be true when it comes to corruption.
26 January 2012, 15:56
22
bassil just checked the numbers and gave his opinion.
the courts will decide who is, if anyone guilty.
the filthy zionist information war department wanted to say something but was unable to say anything new.
26 January 2012, 18:50
20
jibran bassil is not only screwing the electricity company but also the petrol and diesel problem too . also now he is trying to be smart by trying to buy 2500 houses in the large christian area by saying its not safe to live there and also he has a plan to re-sell the land to iran and hezbolla. think carefully and wake up people how long will you put up with ministers trying to take all you have they dont care about you or the people they only care about their pockets. also the truth is jibran bassil has bought a £ 8 000 000 million pound house in london last year in st johns wood also he bought a mountain sight in lebanon for future development at a cost of $250 000 000 dollars , we all know where the money is coming from but where is he going to and what is the general going to do when things change they are going to run and wont give a toss about the lebanese and lebanon....
26 January 2012, 19:12
10
Oh look at the cute photo, they got Gebran a new coloring book. You know now he's able to color inside the lines, mostly, like a big boy!
26 January 2012, 22:07
21
hello!!!!!!!!gebrambessil is on tv now,,,,let us watch this retarded scam and hear what he,s gonna say lies,,,,,
