In Syria, the scandal is gaining momentum, the main accused whose President Bashar al-Assad and his cousin, one of the leading businessmen of the country Rami Makhlouf. On the eve of the deadline to which the company is the largest Syrian mobile operator Syriatel — had to take to implement the requirement of the authorities about the surcharge on license fees. Instead of explaining with a governing body Mr Makhlouf published in two Facebook messages to a senior cousin with a request to protect the company from attacks. All respondents ‘ b ‘ experts are of the opinion that Bashar al-Assad has no other possibility for the budget but increase pressure on local business under the pretext of fighting corruption. Cleaning in the ranks of the representatives of the inner circle are also an added bonus for the image of the President.”The more donations, the more curse””I’m not going to embarrass you and I won’t bother, but I want to explain you the situation” — with these words addressed Rami Mahluf to his cousin Bashar al-Assad in a video posted on his page in Facebook on April 30. He asked for deferred taxes in the amount of about 130 billion Syrian pounds (about $250 million), stressing that the amount is unfair. The businessman said that his company is one of the most important taxpayers and employers in the country and fairly share their profits with the state. For his part, he promised to still pay the money. “I ask you, Mr. President, can you give it to the poor and hungry,” he concluded.Bashar al-Assad to brother didn’t come. But there was a statement of the office of telecommunications and postal services, which the Agency recalled that the Syrian cell phone company (and there are only two) have until may 5 to take to implement the requirement about payment 233,8 billion Syrian pounds ($450 million) to compensate the difference between the initial (advance) license fee income and actual income over the past five years. In addition, it was noted that this amount has nothing to do with the problem of paying taxes, the solution of which work with other organs. In particular, the Ministry of Finance is reviewing the contracts concluded by operators with offshore companies.Two days later, Rami Makhlouf again turned to his brother. “The pressure has become intolerable and inhuman, the security services began arresting our employees. Does anyone expect that security will come in the company of Rami Makhlouf, while I was the largest supporter and patron of these structures?” — pathetically asked the businessman, calling the actions against him “inappropriate use of force”. “I was asked to move away from my companies and to execute the instructions,” said Mr. Makhlouf and stressed that he will not succumb to pressure.The emergence of videobrainiy the President was preceded by several posts Rami Mahluf on his page in Facebook (not a personal account) that was created back in 2016, but was empty until 20 April this year. The first post was devoted to the confiscation party in Egypt, dairy products, owned by one of the companies Rami Makhlouf, since the cargo was drugs. Almost simultaneously, a similar incident occurred with its cargo in Saudi Arabia. The businessman called it a “set up”. “After the reports about the donation, we had planned to do in the Holy month of Ramadan to help our people, it got out of control. We received threats and demands to cease our work… Why the more donations we offer, the more curses you get?” — posted by Mr Makhlouf.”Wallet” presidentes recently Rami Makhlouf called the richest man in Syria and a “purse” of Bashar al-Assad. Father Makhlouf, the brother of the mother of Assad. In addition to Syriatel, which has become one of the main sources of income for the Syrian government during the war, the interests of the business Empire of Rami Makhlouf was extended to almost all spheres of the economy: telecommunications, banks, trade, construction, hotels duty free, oil. Accurate assessments of the status of Mr. Makhlouf is not, although before the war in Syria has called the figures from $5 billion to $18 billion Then, according to several media reports, his business Empire controlled about 60% of the Syrian economy.However, with this view agree not all. According to his calculations, the real numbers are much lower. In 2008, Rami Makhlouf included in the sanctions list of the USA for corruption. Three years later, against the backdrop of the outbreak in March 2011, unrest in Syria to their lists of sanctions have included the European Union.”I’d like to see in Syria, it was ten Rami Molotov,”— said Bashar al-Assad in 2010. However, his opinion was not shared by ordinary Syrians, including the President’s brother is one of the main corruption in the country. Since the beginning of unrest in Syria in March 2011 across the country, protesters smashed the offices of Syriatel. “Go Away, Mahluf. We don’t need thieves,” they demanded. In the end, Rami Makhlouf, to avoid this publicity, said in a speech on television, which reduces their role in business and do charity work, but the cases are not moved.Photo: facebook.com/RamiMakhloufSYВ August last year there were rumors that Rami Makhlouf has been put under house arrest. In December, the Ministry of Finance has locked in a warning order to his account, accusing the Lebanese company Abar Petroleum Services, which is associated with the name of Mr. Makhlouf, in the smuggling of petroleum products from Lebanon to Syria. The businessman tried to solve the problem, but it didn’t work out. Apparently, this is connected with the solution of Rami Makhlouf to break his nine-year silence in the media. In February Livawarriors nskaya newspaper “al-Akhbar” published his letter where he denied his “legal relationship” with Abar Petroleum Services. According to him, the financial authorities most likely decided on the basis of “informal customs documents”, which could be referred to by its name. Mr. Makhlouf said that, despite the illegality of the accusations against him, he decided to resolve the issue with customs and pay the amount even exceeding the imposition of a fine. The businessman complained that the imposed measures are still not cancelled under the pretext that it takes time.In his letter, Mr. Makhlouf has put almost a philosophical question that demonstrates the essence of the conflict between the President and the business: can it be considered smuggling the supply of goods through checkpoints, which are controlled by border and customs services on both sides, and the goods are delivered to public warehouses and help the country to survive in harsh conditions (meaning international sanctions)? He also referred to one of the orders of the customs service exemption from payment of customs duties of the companies which started oil supplies by land through Lebanon. According to the businessman, it occurred after the entry of tankers into Syrian ports has become a problem. Recall that last summer, the British detained in the Mediterranean sea Iranian oil tanker Grace 1 on suspicion of supplying oil to Syria in circumvention of European and American sanctions. Interestingly, for the same reason, Abar Petroleum Services fell under US sanctions in September 2018.”No one will escape the pressure,”Rami Makhlouf is not the only one against whom charges were tax evasion, corruption and smuggling. In October last year in an interview with Syrian television, Assad said that he had called all the representatives of private business who embezzled public funds to return the money. According to him, the aim was to strengthen public finances and not to judge people. Shortly before the Ministry of Finance of Syria reported the lock means 10 thousand people suspected of committing corruption crimes in the first nine months of 2019. By the end of the year campaign to fight corruption has only increased and raised as ministries and many public and private companies.Simultaneously with Rami Makhlouf in December also accused of smuggling accounts were frozen of another billionaire in the inner circle of the Assad family and metallurgical king Ayman Jaber and his company “al-Jazeera”, which was in Beirut, and engaged in transportation and trade of petroleum products. The company, as does Mr. Jaber and his brother Mohammed, included in the sanctions lists of the EU and the USA. In the beginning of Siri��tion of the war Ayman Jaber was one of the key sponsors of the Pro-government paramilitary groups, becoming practically the master of melee units “Sukur al-Sahraa” (“Falcons of the desert”) and “Maghawir al-Bahr” (“Sea commandos”), which grew out of the militia. As of 2018, the media began to appear the rumors about the house arrest of Ayman Jaber and locking his accounts.”During the war, under sanctions, Bashar al-Assad was in need of business assistance. In the beginning many companies, including Syriatel, received contracts from the state with certain benefits, but the documents left a lot of loopholes through which the authorities can legally press any businessman, and we see this in the example of Rami Makhlouf, and Ayman Jaber. Almost any large businessman can present allegations of corruption and smuggling, although the state has benefited from them”,— said “Kommersant” the Syrian source, knowledgeable about the work of several large companies. We are talking about the supply of goods through Lebanon and trade in oil and wheat with a terrorist group “Islamic state” (banned in Russia) at a time when it controlled the main Syrian fields, but sanctions have limited external supply. According to the source, now the government wants to revise the contracts and to obtain from the business additional money in the budget. “The conditions and the amount of “punishment” depends on how behaved a particular businessman at the conclusion of the contract. How badly twisted the hands of the state. The Assad family is vindictive, no one will escape the pressure, the only question is when and who will come and how many will ask,”— said the source. He also called discussed in some of the media about the role of the President’s wife ASMA Assad in the conflict with Rami Makhlouf “ridiculous”. “For these games is a man in the presidential administration, who was with him from the beginning of the conflict”,— said the source.Russia attracted to and anti-this opinion does not agree businessman Firas Tlass is the son of former defense Minister of Syria Mustafa Tlass, who since the beginning of the war, he lived in exile. “Now in Damascus, a struggle for the redistribution of financial resources between Rami Makhlouf and ASMA al-Assad,”— said he in an interview to the Russian TV channel RT Arabic. Firas Tlass warned that the tightening of us sanctions, the split within the Syrian establishment and the military will only grow, and will benefit, who will have more money to pay for loyalty, and it’s not necessarily Bashar al-Assad. Mr. Tlass believes that in this situation “Russia will be able to play the role of guarantor of the unity, stability and sovereignty of Syria.”As reported close to the opposition Center for monitoring the observance of human rights, the Russians allegedly not only gave instructions about the arrest of Syriatel employees, but whether��but participated in their detention.According to the expert of the Russian Council on international Affairs Kirill Semenov, Russia can’t be behind “assaults on Makhlouf”. “What is happening is part of the military-criminal economy of Assad, when his entourage is constantly engaged in the redistribution of business. Now the weak link was the Makhlouf. Bashar al-Assad at any cost need the money. Otherwise his regime will not stand. And why would the money not overcome those who are still able to pay,”— said the expert.”Russia is a global goal in Syria than getting a couple billion out of that will be able to overcome any Syrian company. It is important for Moscow’s military and political presence in Syria, through which it will be able to remain an influential player in the international arena,— said “Kommersant” the Syrian expert in the field of Economics Samer Elias.— Another issue is that some Russian businessmen can participate in the struggle for survival, which began between a major Syrian oligarchs. The war ends, changing the rules that will take effect American “Act of Caesar” — and the sanctions zone around Syria drags on even more.Everyone is trying to grab a larger piece until later.” For its part, the expert said, “the Syrian regime is actively looking for a new frontman and companies that are not yet under sanctions and do not mess with the fighting, to be able to establish at least some dialogue with the outside world.”Marianna Belenkaya
