French investigators have launched a formal corruption inquiry into former Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, according to lawyers who filed the initial complaint.

 

Mikati, 69, a billionaire telecom tycoon, served as Lebanon’s prime minister until January 2025.

 

The investigation follows a complaint first lodged in 2024 by the Collective of Victims of Fraudulent and Criminal Practices in Lebanon and the anti-corruption group Sherpa, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

 

The organizations allege that Mikati and his brother, Taha Mikati, accumulated their wealth through fraudulent means.

 

The National Financial Prosecutor’s office in France has not yet commented on the report of the inquiry. The Mikati family, however, indirectly acknowledged the investigation in a statement, strongly rejecting the allegations.

 

“The origin of the Mikati family patrimony is clear, legal, and transparent,” the statement read. “We have full trust in the independence and rigour of French justice and are ready to provide any complementary information requested.”

 

The legal groups that filed the complaint had previously targeted other high-profile Lebanese figures, including the former head of the Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh, who is now wanted by French authorities on fraud and corruption charges. His brother, Raja Salameh, has also been formally charged in France.