The association "Our Deposits Are Our Right" has called for the formation of a crisis cell to address the issues and complaints of depositors arising from the arbitrary policies of banks.
The National News Agency reported this evening on a statement from the association, which urged the establishment of a broad working team of volunteers including independent lawyers, bankers, experts in Lebanese and international law, financial and economic experts, as well as other volunteers from various relevant fields, with the aim of forming a crisis cell to follow up on the issues and complaints of depositors due to the arbitrary, disgraceful, and at times unethical policies of the banks, providing all forms of assistance, legal advice, guidance, and more.
The association encouraged anyone wishing to communicate to contact them directly or send a voice message via WhatsApp to one of the following numbers:
* Dr. Talal Hamoud: 03832853
* Major Georges Jaser: 03487052
In a similar context, the “Our Deposits Are Our Right” association has established a hotline at 76847967 to report problems and difficulties in the relationship between depositors and banks. This aims to reach as broad a segment of depositors as possible across Lebanon and in various countries abroad to identify the different negative aspects of banks' dealings with them and the forms of abuse they face in their daily transactions. This includes the freezing of deposits and the suspension of their rights without justification, as well as discriminatory treatment outside the standards of justice and the principles of banking practice and the legal contractual framework between banks and depositors.
The banks are accused of failing to meet their obligations and responsibilities towards depositors and their rights, as governed by the laws of money and credit as well as maritime and land commercial law, which provide that deposits are to be returned in their original form. The general penal code, which addresses specified crimes and defines their elements, is also relevant here. The banks are exploiting the state of chaos created by the Central Bank of Lebanon in collusion with the Association of Banks amid the absence of a government and the legislative authority's lack of serious action to protect depositors and their rights from banks’ tyranny and arbitrary practices. This pertains to the implementation of dollar conversion laws for students and the allowance for transfers in cases of necessity, such as for medical treatments, securing medicines, covering travel costs, and paying school and university fees, as well as other urgent and essential needs.
Additionally, depositors are being forced to sign statements waiving their basic and obvious rights, starting from the recovery of their funds in the same currency of their accounts and the depositing of checks and withdrawals, or payments via credit cards, all while facing threats of account closures for non-collectible checks or the adoption of an official exchange rate that is not applicable.
