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Former Regime Leader Returns Secretly to Liquidate Suspicious Fortune in Syria
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The return of this leader to Syria reveals the continuation of deep alliances with remaining armed elements, highlighting the security challenges facing the transition process toward stability
Special sources revealed to Zaman Al-Wasl website that one of the most dangerous leaders of the "National Defense" militia in Sednaya city was spotted during his recent return to Syria illegally, moving between his town and the capital Damascus using a forged ID, protected by an armed group known as the "Whale Gang," which includes remnants of armed National Defense elements.
Information indicates that the person mentioned is Samir Kahla, the older brother of Nabil Kahla, the "National Defense" commander in Sednaya, who served as the financial officer and treasurer of the militia. Documented information from Zaman Al-Wasl shows that he amassed a huge real estate fortune during the period of armed conflict.
Sources reported that Kahla entered Syrian territory with the aim of disposing of his real estate properties and selling them, in addition to 25 luxury cars registered in his name, before leaving the country permanently to a destination that remains unknown until now.
The monitoring authorities obtained official documents, to be published later, proving that Samir Kahla owns more than 60 houses and dozens of land plots, all purchased after 2011, which confirms the source of this wealth and its relationship to financing armed activities.
Zaman Al-Wasl said it will reveal in an upcoming investigation details of a legal attempt to freeze Kahla's properties, and how one of the figures in the judicial corps refused to issue a decision to seize these properties.
This case raises serious questions about the need to take urgent measures to seize these properties and cars before they are sold and their value disposed of, especially since they represent funds looted during the years of the Syrian war.
This file shows the importance of adopting a fair system in future Syria, ensuring the establishment of independent bodies to track looted funds and hold those involved in war crimes and corruption accountable, away from the previous centralized governance model that allowed the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of a limited group of influential people.
