Businessman in custody over MEA Dubai deal

A prominent Lebanese businessman who has been in custody for a week over a scandal involving Middle East Airlines, Lebanon's national carrier, on Friday pleaded innocent.

Marwan Bardawil, owner of Bardawil Aviation Offshore Company in Dubai, said he had nothing to do with MEA's leasing of three Airbuses from Singapore Airlines in June.

MEA officials are thought to have cashed huge amounts of money in the form of commissions for sub-leasing the Airbuses to a third party.

Prosecutor General Adnan Addoum has been in charge of the case and on Thursday said investigations would continue and more suspects would be interrogated. MEA officials, including its chairman, Khaled Salam, were also brought in for questioning.

The investigation into the deal was requested by the Central Bank, which owns 99 percent of MEA's shares.

On Friday, Marwan Bardawil pleaded innocent and his lawyers demanded his release. They said Bardawil Aviation had nothing to do with the signing of the deal between MEA and Singapore Airlines.