Parliament lifts Bouchikian immunity, refers three ex-ministers to inquiry commission
Local media reported that 99 MPs backed the motion, while only MP Jamil al-Sayed abstained, citing his membership in the Supreme Council, a body appointed by Parliament with the authority to prosecute ministers and MPs, but which has never been activated.
The move follows a request made on July 8 by Jamal Hajjar, the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassations, who sent a letter to Parliament's General Secretariat via Justice Minister Adel Nassar seeking the suspension of Bouchikian's immunity. The request is tied to accusations of embezzlement and forgery first made public in February.
A week earlier, on July 1, Hajjar had questioned the former minister but refrained from taking further action because Bouchikian still enjoyed immunity during the extraordinary parliamentary session.
Bouchikian, an MP who represents the Armenian Tachnag party in Zahle, is the second minister from Prime Minister Najib Mikati's 2021–2025 Cabinet to face corruption-related legal proceedings. Former Economy Minister Amine Salam is already in detention along with several officials in a separate bribery case.
In a statement released Monday, Bouchikian confirmed that he "left Lebanese territory on July 7, 2025, as part of a personal and family trip planned for several months," adding that "at that time, no legal proceedings or official requests for the lifting of immunity had been issued against [him]."
He expressed "full confidence in the sense of responsibility of the deputies and their commitment to upholding the Constitution and institutional guarantees," saying he believed the decision would be made "with discretion and impartiality, sheltered from media pressure or populist influence."
'Step by step'
The MPs also voted to refer former telecommunications ministers Boutros Harb, Jamal Jarrah and Nicolas Sehnaoui to a parliamentary commission of inquiry after hearing their testimonies in the Assembly. The decision passed with 88 votes in favor, nine against and two abstentions.
Following the vote, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri ordered the live broadcast of the session to be halted and moved the meeting behind closed doors, particularly to discuss the appointment of the commission members.
Sehnaoui served as telecom minister from 2011 to 2014, Harb from 2014 to 2016, and Jarrah from 2016 to 2019. In November 2019, amid nationwide protests against government corruption, then-financial prosecutor Ali Ibrahim referred the three ministers to the Supreme Council. No further action was taken at the time.
Commenting on the stalled proceedings, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said, "The law is complex, and we move forward step by step."
Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil told MPs the three ministers were accused of decisions that led to "more than one billion dollars" in wasted public funds.
Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah, who has made anti-corruption efforts a central focus in recent years, reminded the session that he had repeatedly proposed abolishing the Supreme Council, arguing it serves as a shield for political figures. But Parliament, he noted, had never acted on the proposal.
Meanwhile, Qabalan Qabalan, affiliated with the Amal Movement, insisted that any proceedings should remain under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Council, "and not ordinary justice."
The meeting was repeatedly disrupted by power outages and technical issues with the sound system, forcing a temporary suspension of the session.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Salam's wishes for the army's 80th anniversary: 'One army for one people in one homeland'
In the early hours of a day marking the 80th anniversary of the Lebanese Army, against a backdrop of political discussions on the state's monopoly on arms, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Friday wished Lebanon "one army for one people, in one homeland." In a message posted on the X platform, a day after a landmark speech by President Joseph Aoun in which he directly addressed Hezbollah and its supporters, calling on them to "bet on the State," the head of government paid tribute to "our proud army, for the sacrifices of its soldiers, officers and martyrs." Believing that the troops are "the emblem of our sovereignty and independence," he emphasized that the army represents "a solid bulwark for our security," at a time when Hezbollah positions itself as "resistance" in the face of Israel. The Israeli state continues to carry out daily attacks in several regions of Lebanon, particularly the South and the Bekaa. A series of strikes Thursday night targeted several sectors in the heights of Jezzine as well as in the Bekaa, killing at least two people, according to information from our correspondent. The Israeli army said it struck Hezbollah missile production sites. 'No salvation for Lebanon without a monopoly on arms' "There will be no salvation for Lebanon without serious work to entrust the monopoly on arms to the army, and there will be no stability if state authority does not cover the entire national territory, with its own forces," added the prime minister. He concluded by specifying that these demands are included in the Taif Agreement, concluded in 1989 to put an end to the civil war (1975-1990), and in the ministerial declaration of his government. Salam is scheduled to chair a Cabinet meeting next Tuesday devoted to the issue of the monopoly on arms, which risks causing the collapse of the cabinet if Hezbollah persists in refusing to hand over its arsenal. The previous day, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri had said that the army was "at the heart of the hopes of the Lebanese in terms of security, defense of the land and of the human being, and for the resurrection of Lebanon." Meanwhile, Defense Minister Michel Menassa said that "implementing Security Council Resolution 1701 in all its aspects will help stabilize and consolidate security in the South (...) and strengthen the credibility of the Lebanese state thanks to its legitimate forces." Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, serves as the framework for the ceasefire agreement that put an end to the open war between these same belligerents for 13 months, from October 2023 to November 2024. It notably provides for "the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon, so that (...) only the State possesses weapons and exercises its authority."
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Minister Makki to L'Orient Today: We're not reforming a flawed state, we're rebuilding one that has collapsed
BEIRUT — Appointed in February as Minister of State for Administrative Reform, Fadi Makki marks a return to Lebanese politics after a two-decade hiatus. A former partner and director at management consulting firms Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Booz & Company, he's provided governments around the MENA region with public sector advisory for 2002 and 2005, he served as Director General at the Ministry of Economy and Trade, a position he left following a dispute — for which he sued the state and later won the case. Makki's tenure comes at a time when Lebanon's public sector has been decimated by a six-year economic collapse, leaving state institutions barely functional and public servants earning around a quarter of their pre-crisis wages. Missed this interview? Finance Minister Yassine Jaber to L'Orient Le-Jour:...
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Aoun's (last?) advice to Hezbollah and its base: Bet on the state
In a speech given for Army Day, President Joseph Aoun on Thursday called for the armed forces and security services to have the sole monopoly on weapons "across all Lebanese territory," and "starting today." This forceful address, echoing key points from the president's inaugural speech, served as an opportunity to send multiple messages, notably to Hezbollah. He called on the party and its base to "place their bet on the Lebanese state." He also urged critics of Hezbollah to avoid "provocation and one-upmanship," all while positioning himself as the strongman of the was an outstretched hand to the Shiite community, a few days ahead of a Cabinet session dedicated to the question of the monopoly on weapons — a session that could implode the government if Hezbollah maintains its refusal...
