Freezing the assets of former Syrian minister

News reports in Damascus said that the new Syrian minister of finance Mohammed al-Hussein issued a decision freezing the assets of former Syrian minister of industry and the assets of his wife for a sum of 860 million Syrian pounds.

Well-informed sources said that al-Hussein issued decision no. 574 states "freezing transferred and non-transferred assets owned by the former minister of industry and his wife for a sum o 861,40, 689 Syrian pounds together with members of the board of the textile general establishment;" They are Jamal al-Omar, Muhammad Saeed al-Barazi; Majid Qitranji, Muhammad Walid al-Noiuri, Burhan Terku, Ghazi al-Qeisi, Abdul Karim al-Lahham and Ibrahim Hammad.

The sources said that al-Hussein's decision was taken according to the memorandum issued by the central commission for auditing and inspection on September 15th, relating "as a result of investigation the responsibility of the former minister of industry Issam al-Zaeem to measures of issuing the final guarantee of the German 'Pico Traden' which is in charge of expanding Lattakia's textile factory," for the same reason of which a freeze of assets measures were taken on the assets of al-Zaeem's deputy then Barakat Shahin. A Presidential decree was issued by the mid of this months exempting Shahin from his post.

Al-Zaeem was known for his great support for the reform project of the Syrian president. He used to head "Tuesday seminar economic forum" then to preside over the ministry of planning under the rule of the late President Hafez al-Assad and to be the minister of industry in the second government of Mustafa Miro. Being not in the new Syrian government surprised observers in Syria because of his international reputation and his expertise in the experiences of the third world countries especially the industrial sector. Al-Zaeem, however, is outside the country.