Judicial investigations in Lebanon are close to concluding the case of impersonating a Saudi prince to blackmail Lebanese politicians, with the suspicion of the involvement of a cleric and no proven role of external parties in the file.
Published on: 02/11/2026 - 23:47
The judicial authorities in Lebanon are close to concluding their investigations with a detainee accused of impersonating a Saudi prince who blackmailed politicians in exchange for sums of money, and with a cleric suspected of involvement in the same file, according to what a judicial source reported on Wednesday.
About ten Lebanese politicians, including current and former ministers and representatives, in addition to a former prime minister, were exposed to fraud in this scandal, which highlighted the corruption of the political class in a country where governance institutions are based on sectarian quotas, and where external interference is common.
The judicial source explained that the investigation into the two men, a car blacksmith worker named Mustafa Al-Hassyan, who impersonated a Saudi prince under the name “Abu Omar,” and the cleric Khaldoun Araymat, who were arrested during the last two months, “is nearing completion.”
According to the same source, there was “no evidence of the involvement of external agencies or parties in the case,” pointing out that preliminary data showed that the two men were involved in “blackmail operations” that amounted to dictating political positions on a number of current and former representatives and ministers, most of whom are from the Sunni sect, whose leaders generally have good relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Investigations show, according to the judicial source, that Araymat, who has close relations with a number of politicians, “provided Al-Hassyan with the phone numbers of politicians and businessmen and information related to their political ambitions.”
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As for the method of implementation, the source explains that Al-Hasyan contacted these politicians “impersonating a Saudi prince working in the royal court, requesting sums of money in exchange for recommending their names to assume political positions.”
The source also reported that "a number of politicians with whom Abu Omar communicated gave their statements as witnesses and acknowledged the facts, but they confirmed that the money they paid was provided in the form of social and health assistance for the benefit of associations or individuals, and not in exchange for political services."
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered one of the historically influential countries in Lebanon, as it provided support to politicians, most notably the Sunni leader Saad Hariri, and before him his father, Rafik Hariri. However, over the past years, Riyadh has distanced itself from the Lebanese political scene and the temperature of its relations with the authorities in Beirut has declined, due to its objection to the performance of these authorities, which, in its opinion, allowed Hezbollah to control political decisions in favor of Iran, Saudi Arabia’s regional rival.
In the context of the Saudi role, the election of Joseph Aoun as President of the Republic in January 2025, and the nomination of Nawaf Salam as Prime Minister, received support from Riyadh. Aoun also visited the Saudi capital in March 2025, in a step considered essential to breaking the stalemate that marred relations between the two countries.
France 24/AFP
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