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“Fraud” Scandal Involving Syrian Airlines
Documents published by activist Maher Al-Zoubi indicate that a Libyan airline declined to sign a contract with Syrian Airlines after being asked to transfer a USD 1 million security deposit to a company registered in Turkey, using a method the company said was inconsistent with the agreed terms.
According to the account presented in the documents, the request to transfer the funds came in a phone call from the director of the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority, after the contract procedures had been completed. The Libyan company said it refused to carry out the transfer and requested official clarification regarding the beneficiary and the payment mechanism, considering that the request violated the terms previously agreed upon.
The company added that the contract was subsequently cancelled after it insisted that the security deposit be transferred through the official and agreed-upon channels. It also warned of the risks associated with transferring funds to entities outside the scope of the contract or without clear banking and legal documentation.
If the documents and correspondence are verified, the incident raises questions about contracting procedures and financial management in Syria’s aviation sector, particularly with regard to financial guarantees and the entities authorized to receive them.
According to the available information, it has not been possible to independently verify the authenticity of the documents or obtain an official comment from Syrian Airlines or the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority regarding the circumstances of the incident. The allegations circulating still require an official investigation and documented evidence before it can be conclusively determined that fraud took place.
**Editorial note:** It is preferable to use terms such as “allegations,” “according to the published documents,” and “not independently verified” in order to avoid presenting the claims as established facts.
