2024-05-12 07:21:10
A member of the “Democratic Gathering” bloc, MP Wael Abu Faour, announced the uncovering of a new loud scandal, through an organized criminal network that imports agricultural medicines that are harmful to health, after careful field follow-up, investigations and gathering information about people and companies importing, distributing and selling these prohibited materials locally and in the country. Several countries, after which he submitted a report to the Cassation Public Prosecutor, Judge Ghassan Oueidat.
These substances cause, as Abu Faour confirms, “cancer, poisoning, and diseases that affect the nervous system, and lead to brain damage in children and memory loss. They also negatively affect the liver and kidneys, and cause other health risks, in addition to disabilities, and may cause fatal poisoning in some cases.” .
Abu Faour explains that, when he was Minister of Health in 2016, and in cooperation with the then Minister of Agriculture, Akram Chehayeb, he had previously prevented the entry of these materials into Lebanon in compliance with the standards of international oversight organizations such as the World Health Organization.
He points out that “some agricultural companies defrauded the ban decision, which the Ministry of Agriculture is still implementing, and smuggled these materials from Syria or through the port, or brought them in legally, as they obtained approvals from the Ministry of Health under the names of pesticides for homes and warehouses, but instead From that, it is used to spray crops.”
What made matters worse was what a radio program reported from the Director General of the Scientific Agricultural Research Authority, Dr. Michel Avram, about the shocking results of tests conducted by the official institution on some strawberry crops, which proved that they contained carcinogenic substances.
Despite their knowledge of the serious harm caused by these agricultural medicines, members of the criminal network, according to Abu Faour, “import and distribute them through deception, fraud, and forgery, without any regard for laws or human health.”
Abu Faour submitted reports to the judiciary proving that these medicines contain carcinogenic substances that exceed the permissible limit, “therefore they are banned by all countries of the world, even in the countries of origin,” and he says, “The file was transferred to the investigating judge after the Public Prosecution filed a complaint against the accused companies,” according to According to Article 682 of the Penal Code.
This article stipulates that “whoever deceives the contracting party, whether regarding the nature of the goods, their essential characteristics, their composition, the quantity of useful elements they contain, or their type or source when the determination of the type and source is considered, according to agreement or customs, as the main reason for the sale, shall be punished with imprisonment along with imprisonment.” Work from one month to one year and a fine or one of these two penalties.”
The head of the Consumer Protection Association, Zuhair Berro, warns of the worsening phenomenon of smuggling agricultural medicines that contain high levels of carcinogenic and toxic substances in Lebanon, especially in light of the economic collapse. He says, “This phenomenon is not new in our country, but it will certainly get worse as poverty increases and decreases.” The purchasing power of citizens.
He emphasizes the absence of government oversight of this file, noting that “the state has turned into a ghost” in light of the current economic crisis. “The authority was almost absent from this issue before the collapse, and now it is not following up on this file in the required manner, which means that the risks will inevitably increase.”
For his part, the farmer, Ali Al-Hayek, confirms that “all pesticides contain hazardous substances in different proportions, but the farmer must use those that match the specified standards. As a farmer, I buy agricultural medicines from well-known companies, and therefore they are the ones who bear the responsibility for their goods to conform to the specifications they specify.” Ministry Of Agriculture”.
Hayek points out that “the Lebanese authority does not combat smuggling and does not support farmers, which prompts some to resort to purchasing cheap agricultural medicines, which do not meet standards or have expired, from Turkey or Syria due to their low prices, which harms the rest of the farmers who adhere to the standards.” He explained that “the difference in prices between smuggled medicines and those that follow safety standards reaches 300% and more.”
What is more dangerous than carcinogenic substances, says Al-Hayek, “is that some farmers use hormones to make their crops grow quickly, and most of these substances are smuggled through the port through circuitous routes from Turkey, China, and other countries.”
“All countries in the world support farmers, as they constitute the country’s food security, except in Lebanon,” stresses Al-Hayek, who suggests that the Ministry of Agriculture sell medicines at a subsidized price through specific agricultural pharmacies, to prevent some from resorting to buying harmful agricultural medicines.
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2024-05-12 07:21:10