"Syrian Petroleum" Resolves Controversy Regarding Embezzlement of Large Sums of Money

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The Syrian Petroleum Company denied the rumors circulating on social media platforms regarding the embezzlement of funds amounting to 110 million dollars.

The company stated in a statement that "what is being circulated about the embezzlement of 110 million dollars is inaccurate, as the circulated figure does not represent funds that have been proven to be embezzled or lost from the company, nor does it represent the value of the contracts under audit, but rather it is a preliminary estimate of the damage within files that are still under investigation and auditing, and no final results have yet been issued to prove the existence of actual damage of this value or to determine its final value and the responsibilities arising from it."

The Syrian Petroleum Company added that "presenting this estimate as embezzlement of 110 million dollars confuses between the estimated damage and the proven damage, and between investigation and conviction, and preempts the results that are to be determined by the competent authorities after completing the investigations," according to the German news agency "dpa."

Regarding what was discussed on social media platforms about contracts and thefts, the Syrian Petroleum Company stated: "As for the contracts that are being circulated in the media, the company confirms that their circumstances and mechanisms of conclusion are different, and it is not true to present them all as contracts concluded by mutual consent or tainted by corruption. Some contracts were concluded during exceptional and sensitive circumstances that accompanied the recovery of oil fields and facilities in the eastern region, and in light of a complex security and operational reality that necessitated taking urgent measures to protect wells and facilities and crude oil, and to treat contaminated water and prevent it from reaching the Euphrates River. These contracts were made within the frameworks and legal procedures in place and the requirements of the stage at that time."

The company explained: "On the other hand, some contracts that are being traded as consensual contracts were not originally so, but were concluded through a request for proposals and competition among the advanced parties, and the offers were studied technically and financially according to the approved procedures. We confirm that contracting by consensus is one of the contracting methods permitted by the contracts system for public entities under specific legal cases, conditions, and regulations, and resorting to it in itself does not constitute evidence of a violation or corruption."

The Syrian Petroleum Company denied the rumors regarding the suspension of its CEO or the request to refer him for investigation by the Central Authority for Control and Inspection, confirming the inaccuracy of this news.