The press office of the Ministry of Finance issued a statement on Tuesday, in which it clarified media circulated news on the report of the 'Alvarez and Marsal' company related to the forensic audit of the Banque du Liban accounts. The statement indicated that "what the Ministry of Finance received from 'Alvarez and Marsal' is nothing but a draft of the preliminary report of the forensic audit, which is still in its incomplete form and clarifications are being collected on some inquiries." It also stated that the contract with the "Alvarez and Marsal" company was signed with the Lebanese government represented by the Minister of Finance, and as such, the role of the Finance Ministry is limited, according to the provisions of the contract, to mere coordination between BDL and the auditing company. Accordingly, the Ministry's statement clarified that the audit report is the property of the Lebanese government and not the Finance Ministry, which necessitates that its final copy be presented to the Council of Ministers, and hence, disposing of its content remains within the powers of the cabinet. Finally, the statement categorically denied what was circulated in the media about the draft report sent to the Ministry of Finance mentioning economic, financial and political figures, particularly House Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and other Lebanese and non-Lebanese figures.
Source: National News Agency-Lebanon