MP Sami Gemayel filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor's Office numbered 934/2023 "to conduct necessary investigations into the crisis of the loss of stamps in Lebanon and to pursue those responsible for this, as well as for acts of corruption in the sale and purchase of stamps, abuse of power, tax evasion, and illicit enrichment, including all who benefited from these actions whether they were license holders or public employees," according to a statement from his media office.
The statement noted that "at the beginning of 2019, financial stamps began to disappear from the Lebanese markets for unknown reasons, and the crisis worsened in 2021 and 2022, with reports in the media about some individuals who hold licenses to sell stamps buying large quantities, monopolizing them, and selling them at inflated prices in the black market amid the collapse of the state and rule of law."
This situation has led to many official departments being unable to provide essential official services as citizens were unable to complete their transactions in courts, in addition to the inability of mayors, lawyers, and others to perform their work without being subjected to extortion resulting from the loss of stamps.
The statement added: "Gemayel based his complaint on discussions that took place in the Parliamentary Committee on Interior, Defense, and Municipalities of which he is a member, and on the comprehensive report on the financial stamp crisis and related procedures prepared by the Treasury Department of the Ministry of Finance, which detailed the reasons leading to the crisis and the parties responsible for the legal violations and monopolies."
MP Sami Gemayel called on the Public Prosecutor's Office "to carry out the necessary investigations and verify the information presented regarding corruption, abuse of power, and monopolization aimed at generating additional and illicit profits from the sale of stamps, and to prosecute anyone identified by the investigations as an actor, accomplice, instigator, or intervenor and refer them to the relevant judicial authorities for trial and impose the harshest penalties in accordance with the applicable legal procedures, and to notify the Lebanese state through the Litigation Authority with a copy of the complaint to take the appropriate legal position."