BABLIEH, Lebanon: The wife and children of Ghaleb Shahin appeared in shock Thursday, one day after learning that the businessman was robbed and killed allegedly by his bodyguard in Abidjan.
Ten-year-old Ghiwa told The Daily Star that she could not believe the news of his death, explaining how she used to talk to him on the phone every day.
It has been one month since Shahin last visited Lebanon, which he visits regularly to spend time with his wife and two daughters.
Mohammad Shahin, the victim’s father, wiped away tears as he explained how his son was killed.
He said his son, who had been operating a coffee-transport company in the Ivory Coast with his brother since 1995, was robbed and murdered while carrying a large amount of cash.
The father said preliminary information suggested he was killed by his own bodyguard, who he hired for protection due to the high risk of being robbed in an area suffering from extreme levels of poverty.
“In Lebanon, politicians steal the public money,” Mohammad said with a face consumed by anger and grief. “If my son Ghaleb and youngsters like him had job opportunities in Lebanon they would never travel abroad.”
Fully dressed in black, Ghiwa and her sister Maha held their father’s picture as their mother wept inside their house in the southern village of Bablieh.
The village’s mayor Shahin Shahin said he was following up on the issue with the Lebanese community in the West African city.
He said Shahin’s body would arrive in Lebanon on Saturday.
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