Investigations

Investigating Riad Salame’s wealth in Europe: Companies, Real Estate and “5 Dimensions of Fun”

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:46:45 +0000

Offshore companies owned by the governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon have quietly invested in overseas assets worth nearly US$100 million in recent years, even as he has encouraged others to invest in his economically devastated country.

NSO Helped Over Ten Countries Tap Over 50,000 Phones

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:44:45 +0000

Created by an Israeli firm, approved by the Israeli Knesset and sold under supervision of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Pegasus software helped suppress freedom of expression and allowed for sexual blackmail of journalists and activists alike. How does that sound for “the only democracy in the Middle East?”

Morocco: Attempts to Spy on 10,000 Phones…

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:43:50 +0000

Morocco has spent the most money utilizing the Israeli NSO spyware. More than ten thousand numbers were tapped, including many journalists and activists’s phones who are now in prison.

UAE: Israel’s (Pegasus) Spyware in the Service of Autocracy

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:39:22 +0000

Some 10,000 phone numbers were targeted by the UAE with the help of the Israeli firm NSO Journalists, activists and dissidents feature on the astonishing long list of Abu Dhabi targets. Follow our special investigation into the Pegasus leaks

That’s Why We Do It

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:38:06 +0000

Will there be a day, when we feel less compelled to look over our shoulder – or at our phones – with fear and suspicion? Is it really possible we will feel safe at home again?

Espionage is Part of Egyptian-Saudi Relations

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:36:14 +0000

Despite the strong alliance between the two countries, especially after President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi assumed the presidency in 2014, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia follows a policy of mistrust of allies and enemies alike.

Pegasus leaks: UAE Spies on Yemen’s Ministers!

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:26:05 +0000

The UAE is imposing itself as a strong competitor to the Kingdom, and if the UAE has indeed taken the decision to eavesdrop on the Hadi government’s ministers by itself and without the knowledge of the Kingdom, this indicates a great division between the two countries…

Pegasus: Providing Saudi and Emirati Eyes in Iraq

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:25:25 +0000

Saudi and Emirati intelligence agencies used Israel’s Pegasus spyware to massively monitor Iraqi ministers, MPs, ambassadors, journalists, activists and even clerics.

Pegasus Leaks: The Egyptian Foreign Ministry is Under Saudi Monitoring!

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:23:34 +0000

Regardless of the reasons that prompted Saudi Arabia to target and wiretap the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, there is no legal or moral justification for what the Kingdom has done to its allies.

The UAE’s Runaway Princesses Targeted by Pegasus

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 06:44:50 +0000

Leaked Pegasus data show how the phones of Latifa, Haya and people close to them were targeted following their daring escapes from Dubai. While Haya resides in Britain where she fights for custody over her children, very little known is about Latifa after she was forcibly brought back to Dubai

The Day Morocco Bugged Us; Hajar Raissouni’s Story

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 06:42:57 +0000

Moroccan journalist Hajar Raissouni tells how the kingdom wiretapped her phone, launched a defamation campaign and imprisoned her. “They told me things about me no one could know unless they read my diary moment by moment.”

Pandora Papers Further Unveil Riad Salameh’s Hidden Wealth

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 12:04:45 +0000

The Pandora Papers come to increase the suspicions surrounding not only BDL’s governer, but the political system associated with him for more than three decades, which, despite all the suspicions surrounding him, seems to adhere to his remaining in office.

Lebanon: “Gang Leader” Marwan Kheireddine and his Offshore Companies!

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 12:03:40 +0000

Lebanese banker and notorious big game hunter Marwan Kheireddine suggested for the banking sector to run the state. But what does he know about the crisis? Having a string of foreign and offshore companies, he bought a yacht and New York penthouse, while the Lebanese lost everything.

Jordan’s King Abdullah Funnelled $100m Through Secret Companies to Buy Luxury Homes

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 12:01:36 +0000

A batch of leaked documents obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists shows that longtime ruler King Abdullah II secretly owns 14 luxury homes in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Pandora Papers: Beirut Money Transfers, Syrian Regime Allies and The Virgin Islands

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 12:00:26 +0000

In the Pandora Papers, the name of the advisor to the President of the Lebanese Republic, Amal Abu Amal Zaid, is associated with the co-founder and director of “Agon Holding S.A.”, a company that was registered in the Virgin Islands on June 1, 2007.

The Pandora Papers Expose Iraq’s Cigarette King Khamis al-Khanjar

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:59:29 +0000

Why did al-Khanjar partner with the Salfiti family to register their companies in the British Virgin Islands, instead of the countries in which they do business?

Pandora Papers: Father and Son Bougherbal Rule Offshore World of Fishing

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:58:22 +0000

Tax evasion and hiding wealth through offshore companies is not something much talked about in Mauritania, but the Pandora Papers show it appears to be a well-established practice for many businessmen.

The Pandora Papers Open a Window On Hezbollah-Affiliated Businessmen

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:56:23 +0000

Two businessmen under US sanctions for allegedly supporting Hezbollah appeared in the Pandora Papers., which triggers that most complex and ambiguous of questions: the one related to Hezbollah’s finances…

6 Palestinian Human Rights Defenders Hacked With Pegasus Spyware

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:55:01 +0000

This investigation reveals once again that the Israeli company NSO continues to use Pegasus to spy on Palestinian activists and human rights defenders for the Israeli government.

Pandora Papers Reveal Emirati Royal Families’ Role in Secret Money Flows

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:06:23 +0000

“The UAE promotes its image as the global financial center and indispensable ally of the West, but at the same time it has turned into a secret haven and an open door for money laundering, gold smuggling, and other crimes.”

Israel’s NSO Group: Blacklisted in the US and Sued by WhatsApp

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:35:42 +0000

Following the shocking revelations by the Pegasus Project, the US authorities have blacklisted NSO Group, while a US appeals court rejected its claim that it enjoys immunity as a “foreign agent.” This means tech giant WhatsApp can continue its case against the Israeli spyware firm

Pandora Papers: How Syrian Companies Operate in the Caribbean via Lebanon

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:34:11 +0000

Leaked documents reveal how Syrian businessman Samir Hassan continues to operate in the British Virgin Islands, despite being placed under European sanctions.

The Ericsson List: A Real Eye Opener on Corruption and Cruelty

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:32:09 +0000

We traveled to Iraq to see the reality on the ground behind the leaked Ericsson documents. We returned with our bags filled with tales on tax evasion, labor exploitation, ISIS funding and people suffering.

Ericsson Documents: Swedish Telecom Company Mired in Iraqi corruption

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:25:27 +0000

Documents from an internal Ericsson investigation show how the Swedish telecom giant used layers upon layers of subcontracting companies in order to evade taxes including social security fees.

Ericsson Gifts, Trips and Cash Greased Hands in Lebanese Telecom

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:24:48 +0000

The absolute star in the Ericsson documents is former Alfa Chairman and CEO Marwan Hayek, who created a triangle of interests: Alfa, Quality Telecom Services (QTS), owned by his wife, and Ericsson, where his brother-in-law worked in a good position.

Lebanon: The Clock is Ticking for the World Bank’s Lake Qaraoun Project

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:20:48 +0000

In 2016, Lebanon was given a $55 million World Bank loan to clean up the Litani River and lake Qaraoun. Five years later only a fraction of the money has been spent, the river and lake remain an open sewer and cancer rates have skyrocketed. Will the people of the Bekaa Valley ever see the rest of the money, and enjoy clean water?

Lebanon: The story of the Danish loan to a “Bassily” project … Berri’s contractor is one of the most prominent beneficiaries!

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 07:16:15 +0000

The loan is, unusually, absent from both the Danish and Lebanese databases – raising initial suspicion. When asked about this discrepancy, EKF claimed that the absence was a result of “human error”.

Danish Double Standards: Clean, Renewable Energy in Their Country, Tainted Fuel Plants in Ours!

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 07:12:25 +0000

This investigation is the result of the collaboration between Daraj and its Danish partner, DanWatch.

All Is Not Well with Uber Lebanon

Wed, 21 May 2025 07:55:02 +0000

Rebecca Rykes’ murder put the spotlight on Uber for all the wrong reasons, while the Uber Files show how the giant firm lobbied hard to force its way into Lebanon. Many people claim the firm still does not meet rules and regulations. Yet Uber denies it operates outside the law.

Shadow Diplomats: Honorary Consuls as Syria’s Foreign Gateway

Wed, 21 May 2025 07:52:58 +0000

This article sheds a light on some of the dubious honorary consuls through whom Syria, despite the regime of international sanctions, managed to maintain a window to the world

Sanctions, Conditions, and Contracting Companies: The Challenges Tripoli’s Wastewater Treatment Plant Has Faced So Far

Wed, 21 May 2025 07:46:05 +0000

Despite having one of the Mediterranean region’s most advanced treatment plants, the project has yet to fulfill its intended objectives, while Tripoli’s residents continue to wait for slight improvements in their living conditions.

Syria: “Captagon Diplomacy” and the “Barrel – Chainsaw Embrace”

Wed, 21 May 2025 07:45:06 +0000

The only Saudi concern in the current talks with Syria seems to halt the influx of Captagon. Yet, observers note that a Syrian concession would be difficult to uphold for Damascus, as producing and selling drugs is virtually the regime’s only source of income.

Hassan Daqqou: From Selling Watches to Becoming Lebanon’s “King of Captagon”

Wed, 21 May 2025 07:42:38 +0000

This article tells the fascinating life story of Hassan Daqqou, the 32 year old Syrian-Lebanese national who emerged from the depths of poverty, selling watches on the streets of Beirut, to become the kingpin of Lebanon’s Captagon trade, backed by the Assad regime and its allies. involvement in a series of terrorist bombings in the Belgian capital in 2016. Sentences will be issued next September and are expected to include life sentences.

Two Decades & 120 Million Euros Later… Tripoli’s Wastewater Treatment Plant Barely Functions!

Wed, 21 May 2025 07:27:39 +0000

This sanitation project is among the priority projects within the European Union’s “Horizon 2020” initiative, aimed at cleaning up the Mediterranean Sea. While the project initially aimed to cover the latest water treatment methods, the station currently only performs primary treatment. Why is that? Because, now, 20 years since the project began in 2003, the station has still not received the required quantity of wastewater (60 m3) to operate at advanced levels.

Caribbean Passports: Dominica Welcomes the Barzani Family and the Former Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq

Fri, 02 May 2025 07:02:49 +0000

Buying foreign passports is not a new phenomenon in Iraq; it is widespread among influential Iraqis in Iraq and in the Kurdistan region as well. However, this project reveals some new Iraqi names who have found safe havens in Dominica.

Caribbean Passports: Influential Yemeni Figures Face The Largest Humanitarian Crisis by Buying Dominican Citizenship

Fri, 02 May 2025 07:01:57 +0000

Through the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program, Dominica has provided a safe haven for many influential individuals from the Arab world, including those suspected of unlawful activities, those involved in crime, or those on the US sanctions list for various charges. While Yemeni elites benefit from these investments in Dominica, the Yemeni population grapples with one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises.

Caribbean Passports: How Did Iraqi Banker Hassan Nasser Jaafar Al Lami Benefit from Dominican Citizenship?

Fri, 02 May 2025 07:01:31 +0000

Al Lami is considered one of the most prominent individuals to have obtained Dominican citizenship, alongside other Iraqi businessmen. However, Al Lami has a unique story that involves cross-border connections extending from Iraq to Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. He has been closely associated with the Iranian regime and has been dubbed “the king of forgery” within Iraqi financial circles.

“Cyprus Confidential”: Ukrainian Companies Owned by Suspicious Businessman Invest in Tunisian Oil

Fri, 02 May 2025 07:01:05 +0000

Sharaf al-Din Al Yaqoubi, an expert in hydrocarbons and one of the contributors to the analytical study, “Insights into Hydrocarbon Contracts in Tunisia,” explains the regulating authority’s leniency towards petroleum companies regarding their non-compliance or delays in commitments by stating: “Tunisia no longer attracts large petroleum companies, and the companies exploiting exploration licenses are mostly small companies with weak technical capabilities. Therefore, the regulatory authority turns a blind eye to many points, given the low demand for exploration in the Tunisian territory.”

Cyprus Confidential: A Safe Haven for Salim Sfeir, the Head of the Association of Lebanese Banks and the Obstructionist of Lebanon’s Recovery Plan

Fri, 02 May 2025 07:00:45 +0000

For the first time, the Cyprus Confidential project reveals financial transactions carried out by Salim Sfeir, the Head of the Association of Banks in Lebanon and the Chairman of Bank of Beirut (BoB), in Cyprus. These transactions raise questions about his suitability to negotiate the future of Lebanon’s recovery plan on behalf of the banking sector.

“Dubai Unlocked”: 10 Individuals Within Assad’s Close Circle Hide 50 Million Dollars in Dubai Estates

Fri, 02 May 2025 07:00:28 +0000

The “Dubai Unlocked” investigative reports reveal that US sanctions have not prevented prominent figures connected to the Syrian regime from acquiring and investing in the small emirate, raising questions about the perks enjoyed by regime insiders there. The project’s documents contain details of properties owned by Syrians from the financial and familial circle of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, including: his cousins Rami and Ihab Makhlouf, businessman brothers Samer and Amer Foz, Rania al-Dabas, the wife of Syrian businessman Mohammed Hamcho, and others.

“Dubai Unlocked” in the Hands of Sanctioned Hezbollah-Affiliated Businessmen

Fri, 02 May 2025 07:00:13 +0000

In the context of the “Dubai Unlocked” project, which was carried out in collaboration with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), our investigation into Dubai real estate data and documents revealed properties belonging to individuals associated with Hezbollah and listed on US sanctions lists. This raises many questions about the UAE’s due diligence process and Dubai authorities’ compliance with international sanctions lists, especially given the tense relations between the parties.

#BurningSkies: Behind Big Oil’s Toxic Flames

Fri, 02 May 2025 06:59:57 +0000

Major Western European oil companies such as BP (British Petroleum), Italy’s Eni (Agenzia Nazionale Idrocarburi), TotalEnergies, and Shell are among the top ten polluters in Africa and the Middle East due to their gas flaring practices. These companies are responsible for releasing toxins into the air, polluting the environment, and harming public health. This was revealed by the investigation titled “Igniting the Sky,” led by the Environmental Investigative Forum (EIF) in collaboration with the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC), Daraj Media, Source Material, and the Oxpeckers Center for Investigative Environmental Journalism.

#BurningSkies: Qatar and Oman Fall Short on Environmental Promises with Slow Progress

Fri, 02 May 2025 06:59:17 +0000

This investigation examines the total gas flaring in the countries of Qatar and the Sultanate of Oman. It is part of a series of investigative reports within the cross-border “Burning Skies” project on gas flaring, led by the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC), in cooperation with the Environmental Investigative Forum (EIF) and several media platforms, including Daraj.

#BurningSkies: The UAE’s Environmental Paradox – From Championing Climate Action to Violating Gas Flaring Regulations

Fri, 02 May 2025 06:58:58 +0000

Despite Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) adopting a voluntary policy to prevent routine gas flaring twenty years ago, the policy has not been effectively enforced, as revealed by the project data.

#BurningSkies: How European Companies are Polluting Tunisia’s Air by Flaring Gas

Fri, 02 May 2025 06:58:41 +0000

This investigation is part of a series of investigative reports within the cross-border “Burning Skies” project on gas flaring, led by the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC), in cooperation with the Environmental Investigative Forum (EIF) and several media platforms, including Daraj.

Caribbean Passports: Why did Regime-Aligned Egyptian Businessman Kamel Abou Ali Resort to Dominican Citizenship?

Fri, 02 May 2025 06:56:45 +0000

The full name of Kamel Abu Ali was listed in the Dominica Official Gazette, which includes individuals who obtained Dominican citizenship either by paying $200,000 if their family consists of four people (as in the case of Abu Ali), or through investing the same amount in its lands.

Caribbean Passports: Mohammad Mansour Zammam is the Governor of Yemen’s Central Bank, Yet He’s a Dominican Citizen Residing in Egypt!

Fri, 02 May 2025 06:56:31 +0000

The project reveals that around 7,700 people have purchased Dominican citizenship, which enables them to travel worldwide without a visa. This list includes a diverse group of politicians, suspicious or criminal businessmen, and lawbreakers.