A pro-regime Facebook page has revealed a scandal involving senior Syrian government officials working in the oil ministry, accusing them of secretly cooperating with the Islamic opposition group the Nusra Front.
The page reported that officials had signed contracts with the Nusra front worth 150 million SP to protect a gas plant in Jibisa, in Eastern Syria.
Meanwhile, official Syrian sources told All4Syria President Bashar Assad intends to swear in a new government by the end of June.
The page published a report by three engineers working at the gas fields of Jibisa in Deir El-Zor, claiming Syrian officials, including the current Oil Minister Suleiman al-Abbas, had been involved in the deal to sell gas and sign contracts with the Nusra Front and Free Syrian Army forces to protect the oil fields.
One engineer wrote in detail about corruption involving Muawieh Khalil al-Waqqa, the son of the president of the local municipal council in Shaddadeh district, who was once the foreman of a communication workshop in Jibisa gas plant, claiming he was involved in negotiations between representatives of the government and the Nusra Front to remove drilling equipment from oil fields and the Jibisa gas plant.
The agreement has allegedly been conducted is under the supervision of the associate director of the Jibisa plant, Ahmad Khallo.
The contract agreed to provide Nusra with 150 million SP monthly to protect the gas plant, although the plant and the contents have allegedly been stolen and sold to "Ottomans," the report says.
The report writer said that he, accompanied by two colleagues had gone to Damascus to report the corrupt activities, but that no one in oil ministry was interested. He said he demanded President Assad be informed and suggested powerful figures were involved in the scheme, even at the presidential palace itself.
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
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