As part of its campaign to undermine its financial control, the US Treasury Department has sanctioned 3 members of the Hezbollah militia, accusing them of facilitating the transfer of funds to the party.
The new sanctions hit a prominent Lebanese economist because of his support for the group in its financial dealings, which the latter denied outright.
Who is Hasan Mukalled?
A well-known economist and owner of a stock exchange company (CTEX), the latest sanctions were imposed on Tuesday along with his two sons, Ryan Maclad and Rani Maclad, because they make it easier for his company to finance his father in support of Hezbollah, according to the statement.
Muqallid, the father, often appears as an economic analyst in the local media.
The sanctioned man is working closely with senior Hezbollah financial officials to help the militias establish a presence in the Lebanese financial system, according to the ministry.
He also added that he acts as a financial advisor to the armed group and carries out commercial transactions on behalf of the group throughout the region.
It also stated that the Moukalled Currency Exchange Corporation was acting as a “financial front” for Hezbollah, that a network of punished money changers provided funds to buy weapons for the militias, and that the money changer Hassan Mukalled was an opportunist who took advantage of the suffering of the Lebanese in the interests of the party.
other companies
The sanctions also affected two other companies owned or controlled by Mackled, namely the Lebanese Information and Research Company and the Lebanese Publishing, Media, Research and Research Company.
However, the defendant completely denied the words of the ministry in a telephone conversation with Reuters, stressing that his actions were “100% honest and understandable.”
The sanctions also hit Adel Mohammed Mansour, executive director of the prominent Hezbollah-linked Al-Qard al-Hassan Foundation in Lebanon.
Washington has previously sanctioned Al-Qard Al-Hassan in addition to another company that Mansour works with, namely the Accounting, Auditing and Financial Advisory Panel.
The sanctions also apply to the Auditing and Accounting Firm and one of its representatives, Nasser Hassan Nasr, as well as Hassan Khalil, who, according to the Ministry of Finance, actively helped Hezbollah acquire weapons.
The new sanctions came after the United States imposed terrorism-related sanctions in December on two accountants and two companies in Lebanon for providing financial services to Hezbollah.
previous fines
It is noteworthy that in December 2022, the United States imposed sanctions against individuals and companies for allegedly providing financial services to the Lebanese Hezbollah group and facilitating the purchase of weapons for the group.
The US Treasury Department said in a statement at the time that the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control took action against two people and two companies based in Lebanon for providing financial services to Hezbollah, as well as another person involved in facilitating the purchase weapon for the group.
