Cma-cgm Case : the Series of Lawsuits Continues in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, France, England and the United States

Damietta company case : The series of lawsuitsthe diversion of public funds. The arab and foreign
continues in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, France, England andpress reported those facts, among which: The Sunday
the United StatesExpress, Lloyds, the Wafd (Egyptian), AL Akhbar
Free translation of the article of the syrian weekly(Egyptian), Al Joumhouryah (Egyptian), Al Ihtidal (Syrian),
« Al Boursat wal Aswak » of 1 8 OctoberAl Kifah al Arabi (Lebanes), Al Balad (Lebanese) as
regarding the CMA-CGM casewell as others...
The series of lawsuits continues in Syria, Lebanon,Jacques Saade was deeply surprised of Mistral
Egypt, France, England and the United States .holding's intervention at the court session of the penal
Jacques Saadé besieged by the judiciary.tribunal on September 3rd 2006 which was adjourned
Every day reveals a new case on the arab andto November 11th 2006 while at the same time keeping
International level in the long story of Syrian nationalin custody the director of the Damiette company,
Jacques Saade, chairman of the board of directors ofengineer Ali Massaad and maintaining the warrant for
the French company CMA-CGM.the arrest against the regional manager of CMA-CGM,
The lawsuit of his brother Johnny R.Saade is still underNabil Bassil, fugitive, who is suspected of hiding in
deliberation near the tribunal of cassation regarding theJacques Saade's offices in Beirut. Despite Jacques
production near a notary public by Jacques Saade andSaade's attempts at denying any involvement following
Lebanese lawyer Choucri El Khoury of a false powerthe clear confessions of the accused.
of attorney related to the partition of his sole benefitIt is to be noted that the Egyptian judiciary, the General
and to the detriment of his brother, of a buildingProsecutor for financial matters is waiting for the
situated in Lattakia.return of Jacques Saade in order to arrest him.
This partition was forbidden by the magistrates.It is expected that further developments will occur in
This case became penal near the Investigating Judgethe coming days especially that other similar corruption
in Lattakia and the General Prosecutor issued ancases have been dealt with near the public funds
accusation against Jacques Saade and Choucri Elgeneral prosecutor in Egypt, establishing a new
Khoury for forgery offence and the use of officialcorruption case involving the Syrian national Jacques
documents. The case is under course near the HigherSaade acting on behalf of the French company
Council of the court of cassation.CMA-CGM in Egyptian ports.
A far as Egypt is concerned, the Egyptian andA number of lawyers of Jacques Saade are
Lebanese press as well as some television networksrepeatedly coming to Egypt in order to find an
have reported that a major contract forgery case hasunofficial compromise and put pressure on the
broken out between the French company CMA-CGMEgyptian press in order for it to quiet down, and lead to
signed by Farid Salem, a close colleague of Jacquesa discreet closing of the file.
Saade, and the Damiette Container Company, aThe Alam al Mashaeer newspaper (Egyptian), close to
public-sector corporation, to the benefit of Jacquesthe investigation, reported that it was unlikely that
Saade and Farid Salem who profited from importantJacques Saade could be innocent of the crime of
amounts to the detriment of the Egyptian treasury; incorruption given that the amount of the bribes is
addition ot their committing briberies.substantial and could not be undertaken by simple
Whereas CMA-CGM was forced to return to theemployees, especially that Jacques Saade personally
Egyptian state the sum of 3 million Egyptian pounds inbenefited from this deal. It is his close relative Farid
exchange for allowing Jacques Saade and FaridSalem who signed,on behalf of CMA-VGM, the false
Salem from leaving the Egyptian territory and lifting ofcontract with the Damiette company.
a seizure decision against their assets wherever theyAs far as France is concerned, it is interesting to note
may be.that lawsuits are starting to encircle Jacques Saade as
The payment of this amount falls within a compromiseis reported by the French press. A new investigation
aimed at removing the legal proceedings initiated byhas been initiated by the General Prosecutor in France
the General Prosecutor against them and focus theand two investigative judges have been designed I the
responsibility solely on VMA-CGM employees, who arematter following a penal petition filed by Mistral against
not the personal beneficiaries of this corruption case.Jacques Saade for producing false accounts and
However the company Mistral (Holding) s.a.l.,under-estimated account projections in collusion with
CMA-CGM shareholder, has recourse to the Egyptianthe company's auditors.
judiciary as a civil party with the aim of denouncing theThe above fits with the illegal transfers to the benefit
people involved in this corruption case and benefitingof the personal accounts of Jacques Saade through
from Egyptian public funds. It is to be noted that suchhis range of personal companies such as CMA
crimes are subject to the imprisonment and penalInternational and Container Management advisors,
servitude for life.which have been under liquidation with the aim of
This case had consequences outside Egypt. Theconcealing those offences; however legal proceedings
ministries of Justice and foreign affairs of the Unitedhave put a halt to the liquidation process of those
States and Great Britain undertook investigationscompanies.
suspecting that this case went beyond corruption and