Assets of former Syrian officials involved in corruption cases, frozen
Syrian Minister of Finance Muhammad Khaled al-Maheyni has released a decision to freeze transferred and non-transferred assets of Syrian citizen, who acquired Spanish citizenship Munir Abu Khaddour (b.1943) in Daraa province, together with the heirs of the late former Syrian prime minister Mahmoud al-Zoubi, the former deputy premier for economic affairs Salim Yassin and the former transport minister Mufid Abdul Karim.
The measure taken by the minister of finance came as guarantee of large sums related to Abu Khaddour involvement in wrong-doings in the Airbus deal to the Syrian Arab Airlines in 1996.
The minister's decision said Abu Khdour's assets were frozen in collusion with those of the heirs of former prime minister Mahmoud al-Zoubi, former deputy premier for economic affairs and former transport minister Mufid Abdul karim.
Earlier on June 22, the central commission for inspection and audition submitted investigations relating to these violation in the Airbus A 32 for the economic court in Damascus.
Meantime, The Kuwaiti daily al-Rai al-Am issued on Sunday quoted well-informed Syrian sources as saying that Munir Abu Khaddour who is involved in the Airbus deal together with al-Zoubi, Salim Yassin, and Abdul Karim, has monitored the deal and these formed officials had huge sums out of it, including US$ two millions to Mufid Abdul Karim.
The Kuwaiti paper added, according to these Syrian sources that investigations will also target the purchase of 30 air " trailer " from France. Each one is at a cost of US$ 2.1 million while Iran had purchased it at US $ 1.6 million for each.
The paper added that it is expected that the Syrian People's Assembly (Parliament ) will lift immunization from many of its members in order to open the door before investigators to carry out the necessary measures with PA members involved in corruption.
