The first investigating judge in Mount Lebanon, Judge Nicolas Mansour, is starting his interrogations with 10 detainees from the "TikTokers" gang involved in the sexual abuse of children, money laundering, and drug trafficking. Legal circles are awaiting the memos that the investigating judge will issue against individuals who have fled abroad, in order to convert them into international arrest warrants. Following the indictment list submitted by the attorney general in Mount Lebanon, Judge Tony Saghbini, last Thursday, which included 12 individuals, a new list was issued on Friday evening with the names of 5 detainees, most notably the girl Ghadeer Saleh Ghannoui, known as "Gigi Ghannoui". The prosecution believes she played a key role in luring children through the "TikTok" application and subsequently delivering them to the gang.
A judicial source familiar with the case confirmed that the prosecution has "charged the new defendants with criminal offenses that carry penalties ranging from 3 to 20 years of hard labor". The source stated to "Asharq Al-Awsat" that the court accused these individuals of "forming a criminal network for human trafficking and money laundering using electronic applications, particularly TikTok, employing fake identities, luring children, practicing violence against them, threatening them with murder and rape, and committing acts contrary to decency". The prosecution's claims are particularly severe regarding accusations of human trafficking, forcing abused children to consume drugs, subsequently raping them, filming them while they were naked, marketing these images, selling them to others, and attempting murder through beating and torturing the victims, leading to visible signs of violence on their bodies.
In parallel with the judicial proceedings, preliminary investigations continue at the Cyber Crimes Unit. The judicial source clarified that "the efforts of this unit are currently focused on pursuing everyone whose names appeared in the investigation and are still in hiding, as well as tracking down other individuals whose identities have not yet been established". Gigi Ghannoui, a central figure in the child rape gang and an accomplice in luring them, has appeared in numerous videos.
#### "Dangerous Tasks" for "Gigi"
A few days after a search and investigation warrant was issued against her, the Cyber Crimes Unit arrested Ghadeer Saleh Ghannoui, known as "Gigi Ghannoui", raising the number of detainees in this case to 11. A source closely following the investigation revealed that the prosecution believes this girl "carried out dangerous tasks, entailing identifying a large number of children via the TikTok application, luring them under the pretext of securing a job for them in an important company, and scheduling meetings with the alleged company’s manager. Upon arrival at a previously designated location, she would welcome them at the apartment door, and once they entered, they would find men inside offering them a drink containing a narcotic substance, followed by their rape".
The source emphasized that "the most dangerous task involves Gigi filming the children during their rape and subsequently sending the images to the top figures of the network abroad, including according to the indictment list, Paul Al-Moush, known as 'Jay', residing in Sweden, and Pierre Naffaa, located in Dubai, along with others". A new indictment list is expected to be issued next week, consisting of 10 remaining names involved in the case, including lawyer "Khaled M", who is likely to have the Bar Association grant permission for his prosecution in the coming hours, and Hassan Singer, who information indicates is residing in Switzerland.
#### Warrants to Interpol
As attention turns to the decisions the judge Nicolas Mansour will take, including in-person arrest warrants for those present and in absentia for those fleeing justice, the judicial source confirmed that the absentia warrants "will be forwarded to the Public Prosecution, which will immediately refer them to Interpol, turning them into international arrest warrants distributed to the countries where the wanted individuals are located". The source revealed that the Lebanese judicial authorities "have received positive signals from the countries where some members of this gang reside, about quickly reviewing the warrants and implementing their content, unless they conflict with these countries' laws". It was noted that "there has been previous cooperation between Lebanon and these countries, which encourages assistance in this file, especially since the crimes committed by these gangs have transcended Lebanese borders and threaten the security of the countries where they reside".
