Lebanon: president denies knowledge of ‘money smuggling’

The Lebanese presidency press office yesterday denied a recent allegation that President Michel Aoun had prior knowledge of money smuggling operations taking place from Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport.

“There is absolutely no truth in what journalist Jean Aziz stated in his interview on Al-Jadeed channel last Sunday about money smuggling operations and other fake news mentioned in the interview,” the press office said. It described the allegations as “baseless”.

According to Aziz, “[Aoun knew] everything about the movement of funds at Beirut airport.”

READ: Lebanon suffering one of world’s worst economic crises, World Bank says