MP Jamil al-Sayyed speaks at Baabda Palace on Monday. (Credit: Dalati and Nohra)
BEIRUT — After meeting with President Michel Aoun on Monday MP Jamil al-Sayyed (Ind./Baalbeck-Hermel) again defended himself in relation to the US sanctions recently imposed on him, saying that he believes that some groups have misled the US administration, providing it with incorrect information that triggered the sanctions.
Here’s what we know:
• Following the meeting, Sayyed said he believes people from Lebanon misled the US by providing them with “false information.” Sayyed also said that he had informed Aoun about his intention to apply for a US entry visa to challenge the US with their claims against him.
• Sayyed also said that if the Lebanese authorities wish to investigate the charges against him, particularly the transfer of $120 million, it can do so by doing a simple audit that would take “just a few days.” Sayyed added that he wants the Americans to reveal who they got their information from so that he “take action against those parties who have transmitted false information.”
• On Thursday, the US Treasury sanctioned al-Sayyed, a lawmaker who has good relations with the Syrian regime and Hezbollah, along with two Lebanese businessmen for contributing “to the breakdown of good governance and the rule of law in Lebanon.” A statement from the US Treasury also accused al-Sayyed of “bypassing domestic banking policies” with the help of a senior official to transfer $120 million overseas, allegedly to enrich himself and his associates.
• On Friday Aoun asked Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the imposition of sanctions on al-Sayyed and the two Lebanese businessmen.