State Criminal Court eyes oil theft in Homs refinery

The First Referral Judge in Homs referred the case of the theft of 127,000 tons of crude oil to the Criminal Court, after indicting the former director of the refinery, Suleiman Muhammad, and other employees. This comes amid indications of an attempt to obstruct the case through inaccurate reports submitted to the Central Financial Control Authority.

The First Referral Judge in Homs overturned a previous acquittal that had considered the loss of the oil shipments to be merely "unintentional waste." The new ruling convicted the defendants of embezzlement and theft of public funds for the benefit of the Qaterji Company, amounting to approximately 255 billion Syrian pounds.

One of those detained in the case submitted a grievance to the Central Financial Control Authority through a lawyer affiliated with the Qaterji Group. The Authority referred the request to its branch in Homs.

Some parties moved to reopen the investigations and prepare a new report that contradicted the previously approved version, with the aim of acquitting the defendants and embarrassing the judiciary.

Legally, the request should have been rejected because the Authority had already approved and ratified the file.