By George Hadad, Translation by Yusra Ahmed
In the middle of Syrian crisis, the Ministry of Interior in Syria including the minister himself, were busy for 10 days in sorting out a gift given from “Fiorella Pasta Corporation” consisted of 15 tones of groats, Sugar and Pasta, and 600 cans of tomato paste.
The first document on 16th July 2013 was a letter sent to Mohammed al-Shaar, the Minister of Interior, detailed the amount of food in the Fiorella gift with details of missing amounts.
Two days later, the Minister of Interior issued an order to form a committee of senior officers (a major General, brigadier General and a Colonel) to form a plan to distribute Fiorella's gift and supervise the process.
The committee held a meeting 3 days after the order, and decided to distribute the gift’s food within the Headquarter of the ministry of Interior only relying on two points: the first that headquarter was not catered and employees needed to buy their food on their own expenses. The second point was that amount of the products were not enough to cover all the Ministry’s branches outside the Headquarter.
On 25th July 2013, a letter issued from the Minister himself in which he ordered to distribute food of the gift on workers and departments of the Ministry of Interior, only inside the Headquarter, besides the Headquarter of Damascus Police, and the countryside of Damascus police.
Fiorella corporation is one of the biggest producers of pasta in Syria (60 tones daily), it was founded in 1994 and headed by Anwar al-Akkad, one of the most influencing businessmen in Syria and very close to the Syrian regime, he was a friend to Bassel al-Assad, the son of the former president Hafiz al-Assad.
He was put on the black list by the European Union as a member of the close circle of the Syrian regime
Al-Akkad owned a group of corporations and factories controlling the Syrian market as well as Fiorella pasta factory, like Salsabil company which produced fizzy drinks (Kanada dry, Hi sport, Krash, Sport Cola) and al-Akkad Fabrics company, al-Akkad's sons trade, Future advertising company, united Company for fuel and oil, Damascus Tourism, al-Akkad trade in Iraq, Afaq for transportation, Royal tourism company and the international company for financial portfolio.
Al-Akkad group had many shares in many big companies.
Hashim al-Akkad, born in 1961, was a member of the Syrian parliament since 1994 to 2012, and he was the youngest member of the parliament.
Many media reports pointed out the relationship between al-Akkad and “The Assads” especially Bassel and Maher, reports mentioned cooperation between both of them and forming joined companies especially the ones worked on money launder, Sadam Hussein regime’s money in particular.
Al-Akkad was too angry when the Syrian regime withdrew from Lebanon after assassinating Rafiq al-Harir, which made him announcing that Syrian regime would withdraw its money from the Lebanese banks to put in banks in Cyprus, Dubai and Jordan.
In 2011, al-Shiraa, the Lebanese magazine, accused al-Akkad of helping Maher al-Assad in smuggling huge amount of money to countries of Eastern Europe, as Maher return the relationships with al-Akkad after it became cold when Bassel died, to help him in entering Iraqi market and work on motors "tanks’ motors on particular", besides fuel and oil and communications.
In the middle of Syrian crisis, the Ministry of Interior in Syria including the minister himself, were busy for 10 days in sorting out a gift given from “Fiorella Pasta Corporation” consisted of 15 tones of groats, Sugar and Pasta, and 600 cans of tomato paste.
The first document on 16th July 2013 was a letter sent to Mohammed al-Shaar, the Minister of Interior, detailed the amount of food in the Fiorella gift with details of missing amounts.
Two days later, the Minister of Interior issued an order to form a committee of senior officers (a major General, brigadier General and a Colonel) to form a plan to distribute Fiorella's gift and supervise the process.
The committee held a meeting 3 days after the order, and decided to distribute the gift’s food within the Headquarter of the ministry of Interior only relying on two points: the first that headquarter was not catered and employees needed to buy their food on their own expenses. The second point was that amount of the products were not enough to cover all the Ministry’s branches outside the Headquarter.
On 25th July 2013, a letter issued from the Minister himself in which he ordered to distribute food of the gift on workers and departments of the Ministry of Interior, only inside the Headquarter, besides the Headquarter of Damascus Police, and the countryside of Damascus police.
Fiorella corporation is one of the biggest producers of pasta in Syria (60 tones daily), it was founded in 1994 and headed by Anwar al-Akkad, one of the most influencing businessmen in Syria and very close to the Syrian regime, he was a friend to Bassel al-Assad, the son of the former president Hafiz al-Assad.
He was put on the black list by the European Union as a member of the close circle of the Syrian regime
Al-Akkad owned a group of corporations and factories controlling the Syrian market as well as Fiorella pasta factory, like Salsabil company which produced fizzy drinks (Kanada dry, Hi sport, Krash, Sport Cola) and al-Akkad Fabrics company, al-Akkad's sons trade, Future advertising company, united Company for fuel and oil, Damascus Tourism, al-Akkad trade in Iraq, Afaq for transportation, Royal tourism company and the international company for financial portfolio.
Al-Akkad group had many shares in many big companies.
Hashim al-Akkad, born in 1961, was a member of the Syrian parliament since 1994 to 2012, and he was the youngest member of the parliament.
Many media reports pointed out the relationship between al-Akkad and “The Assads” especially Bassel and Maher, reports mentioned cooperation between both of them and forming joined companies especially the ones worked on money launder, Sadam Hussein regime’s money in particular.
Al-Akkad was too angry when the Syrian regime withdrew from Lebanon after assassinating Rafiq al-Harir, which made him announcing that Syrian regime would withdraw its money from the Lebanese banks to put in banks in Cyprus, Dubai and Jordan.
In 2011, al-Shiraa, the Lebanese magazine, accused al-Akkad of helping Maher al-Assad in smuggling huge amount of money to countries of Eastern Europe, as Maher return the relationships with al-Akkad after it became cold when Bassel died, to help him in entering Iraqi market and work on motors "tanks’ motors on particular", besides fuel and oil and communications.
Zaman Al Wasl
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