Law

The Impact of the Failure to Enforce the Illicit Enrichment Law on the Spread of Corruption in Lebanon: A Legal and Analytical Study in Light of Laws No. 154/1999 and No. 189/2020

Law
📈 Global Citations (Crossref): 0
Download Full-Text (PDF) - 536.5 KB
📊 Article Statistics: 👁️ Views: 4 📥 Downloads: 0

Authors

Name: Andera ِAli Mcheik | Country: Lebanese Republic
Department / Fine Specialization: Law / Private Law
Institution / University: Islamic University of Lebanon
📧 mcheikandera660@gmail.com 0009-0002-1270-0760

Abstract

This paper examines how the non-enforcement of Lebanon’s illicit enrichment legislation has contributed to the spread of corruption. The paper traces non-enforcement under Law No. 154/1999, whose complaint requirements made prosecution almost impossible, and under Law No. 189/2020, which removed many of those barriers but has been undermined by the delayed operationalization of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, a weak asset declaration system, and selective prosecution. It then analyses the criminal, economic, social and institutional consequences of non-enforcement, concluding that it has eroded deterrence, entrenched impunity, blocked asset recovery and undermined public trust, and proposes measures to activate the law drawing on comparative experience.
Keywords: Illicit enrichment, Corruption, Impunity, Asset declaration, Lebanon
Research Language: Arabic
How to cite:
ElQarar Journal for Peer-Reviewed Scientific Research, Vol. 12, Issue 35, Year (3), pp. 207-222.
Download Citation: Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX
⚖️ Conflict of Interest:

The author/authors declare no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this research.

💰 Funding:

This study did not receive any financial support or grant from any public, private, or non-profit entity.

References

  1. Al Arabiya English. (2022, March 21). Lebanese judge charges central bank governor with illicit enrichment.
  2. Barakat, C. (2023, June 22). The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and Curbing Rampant Corruption in Lebanon. Lebanese Center for Policy Studies.
  3. Maucourant Atallah, N. (2025, October 4). Impunity fears renewed in Lebanon as Riad Salameh walks free. The National.
  4. Merhej, K. (2020, November 3). Lebanon’s New Law on Illicit Enrichment: A Step Forward in Fighting Corruption? The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy.
  5. Muzila, L., Morales, M., Mathias, M., & Berger, T. (2012). On the Take: Criminalizing Illicit Enrichment to Fight Corruption. StAR, World Bank and UNODC.
  6. Rose, S. (2020, October 2). Lebanon passes historic anti-corruption law amid public outcry for transparency. The National.
  7. TIMEP. (2025, September 26). Accountability: Breaking Down the Cases Against Riad Salameh in Lebanon.
  8. UNDP Lebanon. (2023, July 4). Assessment of Compliance of Public Officials with the Assets and Interests’ Declaration System.
  9. World Bank. (2022, January). Lebanon Economic Monitor, Fall 2021: The Great Denial. Washington, D.C.
  10. Transparency International. (2026). Corruption Perceptions Index 2025: Lebanon.
CC BY 4.0

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Permitting copying, distribution, and reproduction of the work in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially, provided the original work is properly attributed.