BEIRUT: Health Minister Wael Abu Faour and Beirut Governor Ziad Chebib traded jabs Saturday over the closure of the Beirut fish market, with each accusing the other of corruption.
In a statement issued Saturday evening, Chebib said that the Director General of the Commercial Markets Administration Yasser Debian, who happens to manage the fish market, also works as an advisor for the health minister.
The CMA head, according to Chebib, has “taken advantage of his position as an advisor to the health minister...in order to prevent the food safety campaign from affecting the fish market.”
In response, Abu Faour’s news office issued a statement, accusing the governor of “taking advantage of his position as a governor to preserve the reality of corruption in Beirut’s slaughterhouse and other divisions of Beirut’s governorate.”
The Beirut fish market was closed Saturday for one week for rehabilitation, after business and union officials announced the decision to accept a temporary closure.
Chebib, who accompanied security forces during a surprise raid on the market last week, ordered its closure Thursday.
The governor’s decision prompted a backlash from the head of the CMA who accused Chebib of inaction concerning a bone grinding mill used by Beirut’s slaughterhouse.
“The health minister has requested shutting down the bone grinding mill many times, why is it still operating?” Debian asked, accusing the governor of targeting the fish market because of his "inability" to order the closure of the mill.
In a statement, the governor said he had already told the contractor who owns the mill to shut down operations. However, he did not specify why his decision was not enforced.
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