Sticking to its warning, the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) set more sanctions on those associated with Hezbollah.
After recently sanctioning two Lebanese former MPs, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) placed sanctions on two companies based in Lebanon that belong to or are run by Hezbollah.
The two companies are Arch Consulting and Meamar Construction. According to OFAC, Arch and Meamar are “owned, controlled, or directed by Hizballah.”
The U.S. Treasury Department holds that Hezbollah’s activities seep into every crack of Lebanon’s economy, “including the construction and infrastructure sectors.”
“Hezbollah leverages Arch and Meamar to conceal money transfers to Hezbollah’s own accounts, further enriching Hezbollah’s leadership and supporters, and depriving the Lebanese people of much-needed funds,” the statement read.
The OFAC has also designated the founder of Meamar, Sultan Khalifah As’ad, a Hezbollah official. According to the release, “As’ad is a senior Hezbollah Executive Council official,” among other things.
Last week, the U.S. blacklisted two former Lebanese ministers, Ali Hassan Khalil and Youssef Fenianos, accusing both officials of conspiring with Hezbollah and engaging in corruption and providing the organization with material support.
The US government press release revealed that as of 2019, Hezballah worked with Fenianos to make sure that both Arch and Meamar won bids for government contracts worth millions of dollars. “Both companies in turn sent some profits from these contracts to Hezbollah’s Executive Council.”
“This scheme involving political leaders directing contracts to political allies while enriching themselves is exactly the type of corruption against which the Lebanese people are protesting. Hezbollah exploits Lebanon’s corrupt system just like other parties,” said U.S Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.
