A resounding scandal centered on the Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Judge Bassam Mawlawi, who deliberately disbursed a financial reward estimated at more than one billion Lebanese pounds, according to what was called a fee allowance to thank the ministry’s senior employees and advisors for the efforts they made in the electoral process.

And with his behavior, which angered state officials and the military, especially those who performed their duties to the fullest in making the electoral process successful, despite being subjected to material and moral prejudice and humiliation due to the financial collapse and their tragic situation due to their salaries, which are now worth only a few dollars.

The decision of the Minister of Interior, which spread like wildfire, did not go unnoticed, especially since the bonuses granted are double the salaries of senior officials in the Lebanese state, and they also exceeded more than fifty times the salaries of some beneficiaries of this bonus, which is equivalent to the salary of four years of work. , knowing that the attributions and favoritism are what printed these grants.

Sources familiar with the Interior Minister’s decision confirm to “Sawt Beirut International” that what was leaked from the list of names that were rewarded through the media is not the only list, Noting that there are employees and military personnel in the Ministry of Interior who have also benefited from these grants, without mentioning their names in the media. It pointed out that the highest amount spent by a senior employee in the ministry was 200 million pounds. As for the rest of the employees, the amounts they received varied according to the degree of obedience, and they were neither done to justice, nor to work, nor to fairness.

The sources indicated that the decision of the Minister of Interior was intentionally leaked either from the departments of the Ministry of Interior or from within the corridors of the Ministry of Finance by some aggrieved people who performed their duties like their comrades, but they were not among the lucky ones. The leak scandal embarrassed Minister Mawlawi, who sought to justify the giving of these bonuses, and also led the lucky employees to be surprised by these leaks as well, especially as they led to great resentment and rebellion by the military who were denied grants and rewards while they were promised allowances not exceeding 500,000 liras. Military personnel range from 1.5 million to 3 million as a maximum in exchange for national service, noting that the military spent more than two nights in their service centers during the electoral process in harsh social and life conditions.

This scandal prompted the Audit Bureau to send a memorandum to Judge Mawlawi asking him to deposit with the Bureau, within a maximum period of one week, the decisions issued by him to pay sums in favor of some employees, officers and consultants working in the ministry, in addition to the source of alimony and the legal basis for that in case the transmitted information is proven, which confirms the illegality of the award decision.

It is noteworthy that what the Minister of Interior did, angered the associations and workers in the public sector, especially those who participated in the electoral process. They promised the amount of three million and 400 thousand pounds and did not receive it despite the passage of nearly a month since the elections, and they were active elements in the success of this process.

It is worth noting that most of the public sector employees and retirees have delayed paying their salaries until the third of this month, with deprivation of transportation allowances, and the argument is the lack of funds at the Ministry of Finance.

The sources are surprised that there are suspicious behavior by some employees and consultants while working to benefit from personal services through their positions in a ministry of this importance.