Who is Ghada Aoun, the dismissed judge fighting Lebanon's corruption?

Removed prosecutor's ‘fearless but controversial’ stance led to direct confrontation with top officials

Lebanese judge Ghada Aoun is fighting for her career. NNA

​​​​A fearless fighter against corruption for some Lebanese and, for others, a politically influenced prosecutor with close ties to the Free Patriotic Movement, one of Lebanon’s largest Christian political parties.

Ghada Aoun is a divisive figure in the country. But who is Mount Lebanon's prosecutor, who was removed from her office last Thursday?

“I'm not afraid of anyone. Even if they want to kill me, I have no problem,” said Ms Aoun, after the disciplinary council's decision to remove her.

Ms Aoun has appealed against the decision, which is now before the High Disciplinary Court for a final ruling. She remains in her position in the meantime.

Although the reasons for her dismissal from the post, which she assumed in 2017, were not disclosed, Ms Aoun has been accused in the past of allegedly overstepping her authority.

She is known for her unconventional methods, which she claims serve the fight against corruption.

Judge Aoun has notably provoked the ire of caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati, who previously criticised her for taking “populist and police measures” that “stir up unbearable tensions” in the country.

She launched legal proceedings against him in 2019 for illicit enrichment following allegations that politicians and affluent individuals had benefited from fraudulent subsidised loans.

She is known for her high-profile money laundering cases brought against Lebanese banks and individuals, as the country grapples with a steep economic crisis since 2019, brought about with decades of corruption and mismanagement by the country's ruling elite.

In March last year, Ms Aoun made headlines when she brought charges against Riad Salameh, the embattled central bank Governor of Lebanon, who she accused Mr Salameh of illicit enrichment in connection to his purchase of luxurious apartments in Paris.

As a result, Raja Salameh, the governor's brother, was detained on suspicion of helping in the alleged embezzlement scheme and spent nearly two months in jail in 2022 before he was released on a record bail of approximately 100 billion Lebanese pounds ($3.7 million).

She also initiated a preliminary investigation in April 2020 into the tainted fuel scandal surrounding deliveries to Lebanon's state-owned electricity company. The probe uncovered an alleged corruption network involving the falsification of fuel quality tests, which enabled importers to sell non-compliant fuel at the price of good fuel.

Ms Aoun's cases have also made waves beyond Lebanon's borders, as two fuel importers for EDL, the Rahmeh Brothers, recently had sanctions imposed on them by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control for “engaging in corrupt practices” against the backdrop of the tainted fuel scandal.

Her unorthodox methods were displayed during her investigation into the Mecattaf money transfer company for money laundering, when she forcefully conducted a widely publicised raid on the company premises, despite being ordered to step down from the case by her hierarchy.

Ms Aoun responded to an approach for comment by The National, saying she wanted to uphold her duty to confidentiality until a decision regarding her case was reached.

“I want nothing to be leaked to the press under my name at this moment,” she said.

Politically motivated?

Lebanon's political landscape has long been polarised between the anti-Hezbollah and pro-Hezbollah coalitions, which, supposedly, mirrors a similar divide between the pro and anti-banks camps.

Within Lebanon's highly politicised judiciary, Ms Aoun's critics have accused her of employing radical tactics to further FPM's agenda, which was aligned with the pro-Hezbollah side.

“Her targets are very selective. She fights corruption on one side but disregards anything that could touch the interests of Hezbollah or FPM,” a judicial source who wanted to stay anonymous told The National. She notably faced criticism for not pursuing Qard Al-Hasan, a microcredit institution associated with Hezbollah.

Ms Aoun has never concealed her sympathy for the FPM founder, former president Michel Aoun. She holds a strong base of loyal supporters within the party.

On Sunday, FPM supporters held a rally outside the house of Higher Judicial Council Chief Judge Suheil Abboud, protesting against the ruling, which they deemed “arbitrary and unfair”.

On Twitter, former president Aoun said that the “corruption mafia” was trying to “destroy the judiciary”, while FPM leader Gebran Bassil accused the “corrupt establishment” of “conspiring against the upright judge, who does not take instructions from anyone”.

For her detractors, this political backing is evidence that her endeavours hide vested interests, which her targets systemically use to discredit the grounds of her cases.

“False and politically motivated”, the prime minister's son, Maher Mikati, had previously told The National, describing Ms Aoun's case against his family, which has since been dropped.

Double standard?

The disciplinary council's move last week did not come as a total surprise.

In February, caretaker interior minister Bassam Mawlawi ordered security forces to stop implementing decisions made by Ms Aoun, following a letter from Mr Mikati asking for legal action to be taken against her.

Ms Aoun said at the time that Mr Mikati was “blatantly interfering in the judiciary”.

While the disciplinary council's decision remains undisclosed, sources have confirmed that it referred to Ms Aoun's failure to consider recusal notices, which require a judge to temporarily remove themselves from a case to avoid a conflict of interest.

The decision also raised concerns regarding her adherence to confidentiality, as the judge frequently expresses her opinions in front of the media and on social networks.

“While mistakes have undoubtedly been made, the magnitude of the sanction against Ms Aoun raises however questions about its proportionality, especially in the context of a corrupt and dysfunctional country where accountability is scarce,” said former justice minister Marie-Claude Najm.

“This also raises questions about the message being sent to the judiciary and the population at large, suggesting a double standard in a judicial system where precedents show less severe repercussions, and sometimes none at all, for corruption or inaction.”

For Lebanese lawyer Karim Daher, her removal is a "judicial assassination".

"She was one of the few who dared tacking highly sensitive financial corruption cases, and used her prerogative to lift banking secrecy. Her use of this tool, only granted to the judiciary without condition, struck fear into the ruling class," he said.

What is next?

The appeal should be ruled by the High Disciplinary Court “in a few months' time by a simple majority”, former president of the Council of State Chucri Sader told The National.

If the council rules for Ms Aoun's removal, there will be “continuity in the cases”, and the interim will be ensured by the highest-ranking attorney general until a new magistrate is appointed.

“The cases that Ghada Aoun was working on will then be handled by the new prosecutor and continue the legal proceedings to ensure there is no vacuum,” he said.

The question at large here is could this be the final chapter in Ms Aoun's long career that started in 1981?

The Mount Lebanon prosecutor still has more to say. Reports suggest that on Tuesday, Ms Aoun initiated legal proceedings against BankMed, a Lebanese bank, citing allegations of money laundering.