French investigators have launched a formal corruption inquiry into former Lebanese prime minister and billionaire businessman Najib Mikati, raising new questions about political corruption and financial misconduct within Lebanon’s ruling elite. The probe, announced on September 14, follows a complaint lodged in 2024 by anti-corruption organizations and a collective of Lebanese victims who accuse Mikati and members of his family of amassing vast fortunes through fraudulent practices.

The investigation is being handled by France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office, which specializes in complex financial crimes, although the office has so far declined to comment publicly. Still, the inquiry’s confirmation by the lawyers’ groups and the Mikati family’s indirect acknowledgment through a carefully worded statement has lent credibility to the seriousness of the case.

Mikati, 69, is no stranger to controversy. A self-made billionaire in the telecoms sector, he has long straddled the worlds of business and politics. He served three separate terms as Lebanon’s prime minister, the most recent of which ended in January this year. His resignation came amid a deepening financial and political crisis in Lebanon, where widespread corruption and mismanagement have fueled economic collapse, public anger, and waves of emigration.

The complaint against Mikati was filed by the Collective of Victims of Fraudulent and Criminal Practices in Lebanon and the French NGO Sherpa, which focuses on fighting financial crime and protecting victims of corruption. According to these groups, Mikati and........

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