The Lebanese Bar Association requested British authorities to halt a voluntary liquidation of a company registered in the UK due to its possible connections to the Beirut port explosion last year.
According to Al-Joumhouria newspaper, the Bar Association sent a letter on January 25 to British lawmaker Margaret Hodge in Beirut, asking the UK Companies Registration Office to prevent the liquidation of Savaro Limited, which they describe as a "suspected entity," to allow investigations into its potential role in the explosion to continue. The letter from the Bar Association's head, Melhem Khalaf, stated that the Lebanese judge assigned to the investigation has accused Savaro, and permitting its liquidation "before the end of legal proceedings will allow a suspected entity to evade justice."
The Bar Association in Beirut noted in its message to Hodge that the name and address of Savaro "appear on documents as the purchaser of the high-density ammonium nitrate shipment that ultimately exploded in August 2020." The letter mentioned that the Bar Association has been granted the status of a plaintiff in the case, enabling it to access details of the official investigation into the explosion.
Marina Silo, registered with the Companies Registration Office as the owner and sole director of Savaro, submitted a request to the Companies Registration Office to liquidate Savaro on January 12, stating that it had filed annual statements since 2008 indicating that it is inactive. Last week, Silo told Reuters that she works as an agent for Savaro on behalf of another undisclosed owner. She denied any connection between Savaro and the Lebanon explosion, saying she believes the company has never engaged in any business.
Hodge called for a British investigation into Savaro last week. It is worth noting that the Beirut port explosion occurred in two stages in warehouse number 12 on Tuesday, August 4, 2020, resulting in a massive smoke cloud and significant material and human losses.
