The President and the Board of Directors of the Association of Banks in Lebanon, in a move to help the Lebanese state, gave Interior Minister Nohad Mashnouk, a check for $6 million to help the authorities to proceed with the program to rehabilitate and modernize all the prisons in Lebanon.

In return for this gesture, the minister gave Dr. Bassil a shield symbolizing the flag of Lebanon and signed by the leaders of independence as a token of appreciation to ABL.

“I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Bassil and Beirut Chambers of Commerce represented by Mr. Mohammed Choucair for helping us in this stage to reform our prisons. Rehabilitating the prisons is part of an overall plan to combat terrorism in the country. This gesture confirms the national responsibility of ABL and its determination to carry out its patriotic duties,” Mashnouk told ABL delegation.

Responding to a question, the minister said that rehabilitating the prisons will start in the coming few weeks but the first phase will be limited, stressing that construction of modern prisons requires the assistance of countries and Lebanon is pursuing this goal.

For his part, Dr Bassil thanked Minister Mashnouk for visiting ABL’s headquarters to give a presentation about the state of prisons in Lebanon in general and Roumyeh in particular.

He added that the ABL fulfilled its duty, noting that every bank is carrying out its patriotic and social duty in every occasion.