The honest employees and staff of the Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC), including engineers and technicians—whose memories cannot be bought or erased—are still awaiting the release of the Central Financial Control Authority's inspection report on the contractual violations and large-scale financial embezzlement that occurred in the contracts of the SPC during the Assad regime and the Qaterji Company.
The SPC was a party to four contracts with the following entities:
• Deir ez-Zor Company
• Euphrates Company
• Syrian Petroleum Company
• Syrian Oil Transport Company
These contracts—which can be described as contracts of adhesion—were concluded on the recommendations of political and security leaders. Ostensibly, the contracts were for technical support and protection, but in reality, they constituted embezzlement disguised as official contracts. Profits from production reached as high as 60% for the benefit of the SPC, an exorbitant and unjustified percentage. These contracts included complex contractual matters and large-scale supplies that necessitate a thorough financial and legal audit.
Contractual violations and corrupt procurement practices were documented in these contracts, including, but not limited to:
• Supplying pumps at inflated prices to the Deir ez-Zor oil fields.
• Supplying expired or substandard materials.
Incidentally, a committee conducted tests on the supplied materials, including drilling materials, and the results showed that their effectiveness ranged between 50% and 70%, while the prices paid were for materials and supplies with 100% effectiveness. This means that the contracting parties paid full price for materials that did not meet the required specifications.
Those involved, the receiving committees, and the field technicians requested that the tests be repeated several times at different times. Each time, the result was consistent: effectiveness did not exceed 70% at best. This indicates that the problem was not isolated or exceptional, but rather a recurring pattern in the procurement processes related to these contracts, confirming the presence of corruption among those responsible for the fields.
Following the expiration of the contract with Al-Maham Company, the dissolution of Al-Furat Company, the victory of the Syrian revolution, and the regime change in Syria, a large number of former managers who had worked at Al-Maham Company infiltrated the Syrian Petroleum Company's staff. Some had worked part-time for Al-Maham Company, while others worked for it as a subcontractor (i.e., implementing the contract), and all benefited from the company's operations. Among these individuals were those who signed invoices and approved financial embezzlement.
Zaman al-Wasl
Zaman Al Wasl
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