Corruption Cases Haunt Najib Mikati After Leaving Government

Najib Mikati concluded his tenure as Lebanon's caretaker prime minister with a blatant human rights violation by approving the extradition of Egyptian poet Abdul Rahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi to the UAE. This act adds to his record of alleged corruption charges that continue to follow him even after leaving office.

The poet, al-Qaradawi, was arrested in Beirut on December 28, 2024, while returning from Syria, where he had gone to celebrate the success of its revolution. He was subsequently deported to the UAE on January 10, 2025.

A Tragic Ending

The UAE requested al-Qaradawi's extradition to face trial over a video he recorded during his visit to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. In the video, he warned Syrians of “the sinister challenges being plotted globally, led by the disgraceful regimes in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.”

Abu Dhabi deemed this expression of opinion as “incitement against the UAE and an attempt to destabilize the country.”

The decision to extradite him raised suspicions as a “political, not judicial” move in which Mikati played a major role. The extradition lacked the required signature of the president, as mandated by law.

The case was handled with striking speed, wrapping up in just 10 days—an extraordinary pace for Lebanon's typically sluggish legal system, AFP reports.

The extradition of al-Qaradawi to the UAE stands as the tip of the iceberg in Najib Mikati’s trail of scandals, spanning domestic corruption to foreign investments. These controversies have placed him under scrutiny for alleged “illicit enrichment and money laundering.”

Mikati served as Lebanon's Prime Minister for the fourth time, starting September 10, 2021, in a fragmented political career. His most recent tenure unfolded amid a two-year presidential vacuum following the end of Michel Aoun's term in October 2022.

According to Forbes' 2022 list of global billionaires, Mikati's net worth is $3.2 billion, a figure mirrored by his brother, Taha. Mikati’s time in office concluded on January 13, 2025, with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun appointing Nawaf Salam, a 71-year-old judge of the International Court of Justice, to form a new government.

Al-Qaradawi case has drawn widespread attention, particularly as no images of the poet have surfaced since his arrest in the UAE, sparking fears for his safety and concerns over potential torture. This has fueled calls for legal action against Mikati for his role in facilitating the extradition.

Activists have also renewed demands to expose Mikati’s “black file of corruption,” a legacy tied to his political ascent through Lebanon’s business elite. Before serving as Prime Minister, Mikati held the Public Works and Transport portfolio in three consecutive cabinets from 1998 to 2004.

Legal Proceedings Initiated

Egyptian activist Taqadum al-Khatib noted that Mikati’s immunity has now been lifted, making him vulnerable to prosecution for endangering al-Qaradawi’s life without legal justification.

“Who does Mikati think he is?” al-Khatib said in a televised interview. “Even Netanyahu, despite his position, was dragged to court.”

Lebanese lawyer Mohammad Sablouh, representing al-Qaradawi, held Mikati “fully responsible” for the poet’s safety in the UAE or Egypt.

Speaking on January 9, 2025, Sablouh announced plans to pursue legal actions against Mikati within Lebanon’s judiciary and at international institutions. He condemned the extradition as a “disgraceful and shameful decision for Lebanon,” emphasizing that the UAE has a documented history of torture and coerced confessions.

Sablouh claimed that Najib Mikati succumbed to UAE pressure when he approved the extradition of Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi. The lawyer emphasized that Mikati circumvented the law, as such extradition requires the President’s signature — a position vacant at the time due to Lebanon’s presidential void.

The extradition, he argued, was a political decision tied to Mikati’s interests with the UAE, including reconstruction projects in Lebanon. Mikati had previously declared, “Our interests with the UAE outweigh human rights principles.”

Pandora Papers 

Mikati has long faced allegations of corruption and illicit enrichment in Lebanon. Investigative reports and journalistic inquiries frequently highlight his financial dealings. Most recently, in April 2024, a French lawsuit accused him of embezzlement and money laundering.

In September 2019, Lebanese prosecutors charged Mikati, his son, and his brother with “illicit enrichment” over subsidized housing loans. Mikati denied the allegations, insisting the loans were lawful.

Mikati was also implicated in the Pandora Papers, an investigative report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) released in September 2021. The report exposed the use of offshore companies by hundreds of global figures for financial misconduct.

According to the Pandora Papers, Mikati owns a Panama-based company, Hesville, which facilitated the purchase of a €7 million property in Monaco and was allegedly used to evade taxes. In response, Mikati stated in 2021 that his family’s wealth originated from over 20 years of work in the telecommunications sector and was entirely legitimate.

A 2021 investigation by the Lebanese outlet Daraj reported that Mikati’s M1 Group acquired Telenor Myanmar for $105 million. The deal, struck in July 2021, faced scrutiny due to the group's alleged proximity to the Syrian regime. Myanmar authorities ultimately rejected the transaction, citing concerns about M1 Group’s business practices.

Mikati’s name has also surfaced in other global investigative projects, such as the Paradise Papers in 2017, revealing that he established an offshore company, Corporate Jet, in 2004.

Legal Troubles in France

In April 2024, two anti-corruption organizations—Sherpa and the Collective of Victims of Fraudulent and Criminal Practices in Lebanon—filed a complaint in France against Mikati and his family. The complaint called for an investigation into suspected financial crimes, including money laundering.

The complaint focused on properties and businesses owned by Mikati and his relatives in France and other countries, alleging the need for further investigation into the origins of their assets.

Mikati’s office dismissed the claims, insisting his family’s wealth was earned transparently and within the law, while French prosecutors stayed tight-lipped, neither confirming receipt of the complaint nor offering further comment.

“That's the kind of mechanical consequences of being a billionaire politician - you consider your position to be a kind of shelter against prosecution,” William Bourdon, a lawyer for Sherpa, told Reuters in April.

The lawsuit filed by Sherpa accuses Mikati of financial crimes. These include money laundering and acquiring properties in France and abroad through large-scale financial transactions alongside his brother, Taha Mikati.

The lawsuit asserts that Mikati and his associates symbolize nepotism and conflicts of interest, which have significantly contributed to Lebanon’s current crisis.

Lawyers William Bourdon and Vincent Brengarth stated that Mikati’s systematic use of offshore accounts and tax havens raises serious suspicions of money laundering and tax fraud, in addition to other extensive crimes that have persisted for years.