Latest news with #forgery
Arab News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Lebanese parliament lifts MP immunity, refers 3 former ministers for corruption probe
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Parliament voted by a majority of 99 out of 128 members on Wednesday to lift the immunity of MP George Bouchikian, paving the way for a civil prosecution on charges of embezzlement, forgery and extortion. The charges are based on complaints filed by several factory owners accusing Bouchikian of committing the offences during his tenure as minister of industry in former Prime Minister Najib Mikati's government. In a separate vote, 88 members approved the referral of former telecommunications ministers Boutros Harb, Nicolas Sehnaoui and Jamal Jarrah to an investigative committee over documented allegations of 'mismanaging tens of millions of dollars in building leases and contracting operations.' Public Prosecutor Jamal Hajjar submitted a formal request to the General Secretariat of Parliament to lift Bouchikian's parliamentary immunity. Hajjar questioned Bouchikian as a witness in late June but the former minister left Lebanon for Canada shortly afterwards, confirmed in a statement given two days ago. He is not expected to return now his parliamentary immunity has been removed. A judicial source told Arab News: 'Bouchikian was questioned following testimony from factory owners who alleged that he, through his office manager and private driver, accepted payments between $50,000 and $70,000 for each work permit application submitted.' According to the source, the investigating judge at the time 'lacked the authority to arrest Bouchikian or confiscate his passport due to his parliamentary immunity. It appears he took advantage of this loophole to leave the country, anticipating that formal charges were imminent.' The source added: 'Four employees have been detained and charged in connection with the case, while Bouchikian's office manager and driver went into hiding.' This is the first time parliamentary immunity has been lifted since 2000, when it was stripped from MP Chahe Barsoumian over a corruption case related to oil storage contracts. The move came during former president Emile Lahoud's high-profile campaign against corruption and waste. This largely targeted officials from the era of his predecessor, Elias Hrawi, and Rafik Hariri, the late prime minister who led most of Hrawi's governments. Barsoumian was eventually acquitted following Hariri's assassination in 2005 and the election of a new parliament dominated by opponents of the previous establishment. In 2004, a parliamentary investigative committee concluded that 'the acts attributed to Barsoumian were not sufficiently proven, and there was no legal basis for indictment or prosecution.' Meanwhile in its legislative session, the Lebanese parliament summoned former telecommunications ministers Harb, Sehnaoui, and Jarrah. The three appeared in order to submit legal defenses against allegations of administrative and financial irregularities raised by the Financial Judiciary, which had formally requested their referral to the Supreme Council for the Trial of Presidents and Ministers. All MPs opposed the treatment of the ministers as a single case. The case of the three ministers is linked to several issues, including that of the Kassabian building, which was leased by MIC 2. Rental fees for the first four years totaled $10 million, but the company did not benefit from it due to its unsuitability. The state is still paying the rent. The second case concerns the squandering of millions of dollars by using the revenues of the two mobile phone companies to fund various social activities. In 2022, a group of MPs filed an indictment against the three ministers in the telecommunications case, referring them to the Supreme Council for the Trial of Presidents and Ministers. Harb, a prominent figure in Lebanon's sovereign bloc, told the parliament his conscience was clear 'because I did not breach the law, but rather preserved public funds and stopped waste, and I am fully prepared to cooperate with any investigative committee formed.' Sehnaoui told MPs: 'My conscience is clear, and I was the one who negotiated with the owner of the building that was being rented to unify the workplace of Touch Mobile employees at the lowest price.' He also claimed Zain International inspected the building and stated it was suitable. 'It was later discovered that it could not support the very heavy equipment on its roof and needed modifications. How could I know that it was not if the international company stated otherwise?' he said. Jarrah stated: 'The Financial Public Prosecutor did not request any documents or papers to prove our statements regarding the funding of social activities. When we left his office, we heard about our accusations in the media.'
The Herald
2 days ago
- The Herald
Six years in jail for bogus attorney
Johannes Teboho Motse, who posed as a legal practitioner and unlawfully represented unsuspecting clients in various courts between February and November 2022, has been sentenced to six years in jail. The Rustenburg specialised commercial crimes court convicted Motse, 43, of multiple charges of fraud, theft, forgery and uttering. 'He forged critical legal documents, including a right of appearance certificate, a Fidelity Fund certificate and an admission certificate, to deceive his victims,' National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Sivenathi Gunya said on Monday. One of the complainants paid Motse R15,000 to prosecute an appeal. After receiving no legal service, the client reported the matter to the police. Investigations revealed that Motse was not registered with the Legal Practice Council. Motse pleaded guilty to all charges. 'In aggravation of sentence, state advocate Matshidiso Ramakgaphola highlighted the prevalence of such crimes in the court's jurisdiction and emphasised that the offences were premeditated and meticulously executed.' The court sentenced Motse to six years for fraud, forgery and uttering. On the charge of theft, he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years on condition that he repays the complainant R15,000 by August 31. TimesLIVE
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Unsettling sight on Aussie streets as cops allegedly make disturbing discovery in the boot of a 'Chinese Police' car
A motorist has been arrested after allegedly driving a 'Chinese Police' vehicle around Sydney with live ammunition in the boot. NSW Police spotted the Mercedes S-Class in Strathfield, in the city's inner west, at about 2.50pm on Friday. The vehicle had police insignia on the doors and bonnet with the word 'police' displayed in Mandarin and the incorrect spelling of 'poilce' in English. The driver, 21, allegedly presented a forged document to officers, claiming the vehicle was used to transport Chinese consulate officials. Officers searched the car and allegedly found a box containing 48 live rounds of ammunition in the boot. The driver allegedly claimed the boot was the 'best place' to store the ammunition and that he had a valid firearms licence and two guns secured at his home. Police seized the ammunition and other items allegedly used to impersonate police. At a Baulkham Hills home, officers later found two gel-blasters and seized the man's registered firearms pending a review of his licence. The man was hit with a slew of charges including use display emergency services organisation insignia and drive motor vehicle with unlawful police insignia. He was also charged with use false document to influence exercise of public duty and holder of Category A or B licence not have approved storage (two counts). The other charges included provide information known to be false or misleading, possess unauthorised prohibited firearm, and not comply P2 licence condition not display P plates. He was granted bail and will appear at Burwood Local Court on Tuesday.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Over a dozen charged in $2.1 million fraud scheme in middle Georgia
An investigation that spanned 15 states led to the arrests of more than a dozen people, according to Georgia officials. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On March 20, Monroe County officials launched 'Operation Fall Guy' after investigating several thefts involving businesses and residents. The investigation spanned a total of 15 states, including Georgia. Officials said multiple banks identified 57 suspects, 14 victims and a total of 272 checks had been altered. According to authorities, the suspects tried to obtain $2.1 million TRENDING STORIES: Ca$h Out trial: Atlanta rapper found guilty of RICO, sex trafficking charges Family of homeless man killed when city worker ran over tent files lawsuit against City of Atlanta Newton neighbors frustrated as developer wants property rezoned for truck stop Monroe County investigators have secured 123 warrants and as of Friday, 15 suspects were arrested. Their list of charges ranges from identity theft fraud, forgery and the printing of fictitious checks. The following suspects were arrested and booked into the Monroe County Jail: Lennel Burton, of College Park, Ga. Demonte Grier, of Atlanta Derrian Styles, of Atlanta Keyon McCrary, of Atlanta Ollicia Kennedy, of Riverdale Ebonie Powell, of Rolesville, NC Rashun Johnson, of Bryon, Ga. Jemarcus Little, of Fort Valley Ardonish Adside, of Macon Zychenia Paschal, of Milledgeville Arienna Yarbrough, of Eatonton, Ga Blake Ford, of Locust Grove Brandon McCants, of Oglethorpe, Ga. Willie McCall, of Warner Robins, Ga. Antonio Boston is being held at the Houston County Jail. Arif Farooki is awaiting extradition from Ohio. Investigators said they are still searching for 29 other suspects. The investigation is ongoing. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Solve the daily Crossword
Telegraph
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
WHO regional head placed on leave amid corruption allegations
A regional director of the World Health Organization (WHO) has been placed on leave after being charged with fraud, forgery and misuse of power. Saima Wazed, the daughter of Bangladesh's ousted prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, was elected as head of the WHO's South East Asia (SEARO) regional office in November 2023. But the victory was marred by claims her mother used her influence to garner support, and the 52-year-old Ms Wazed was charged by Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission in March. The authorities have since seized some of her assets. Among the accusations against her are claims that she forged documents while campaigning to become the regional director, and leveraged her political ties to channel some $2.7 million through a Bangladesh non-profit that she chairs called the Shuchona Foundation. A spokesperson for the WHO said: 'WHO's Regional Director, SEARO, Saima Wazed, is currently on leave. During this period, Dr Catharina Boehme is serving as Officer-in-Charge.' Ms Wazed did not respond to questions from The Telegraph and has not commented publicly on the WHO's decision. Her brother, Sajeeb Wazed, previously described the corruption investigation as a 'smear campaign' by the new Bangladesh administration, headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus. An unnamed official from Mr Yunus' administration told the Financial Times that Ms Wazed's removal is an 'important first step towards accountability' and 'restores integrity to this prestigious role'. The WHO's SEARO region is headquartered in India. Since a warrant was issued for Ms Wazed's arrest in Bangladesh she's been unable to return, while the country's WHO office has reportedly refused to work with her as regional-director. Her ability to travel to other places in the region has also been curtailed. SEARO is one of six WHO regions, and covers two billion people in 10 countries – in May this year, Indonesia swapped to be part of the Western Pacific region instead. It has an annual budget of more than $500 million (£371 million), and has a significant role in health-related policies and programmes across the area.
