NEGLIGENT TECHNOCRAT
Hassan Diab
Hassan Diab
Former Prime Minister
The technocrat who presided over the default and the explosion. Diab claimed to be fighting corruption but ended up as a shield for the ruling class. He is the first PM to be charged with negligence in the port case, a charge he dismisses as politically motivated targeting of the Sunni position.
"
"I did not know the danger."
Evidence & Activities
THE DEFAULT
- Oversaw the first sovereign default in Lebanon's history without a backup plan, accelerating the currency's freefall.
- His government was paralyzed by the very parties that appointed him.
PORT NEGLIGENCE
- Admitted to knowing about the ammonium nitrate prior to the blast but 'forgot' or was told it was safe.
- Resigned in the wake of the explosion but continued as caretaker PM, doing little to address the crisis.
End of Dossier
Return to Archive