The Court of First Instance in Mount Lebanon, through its Third Chamber handling real estate matters and composed of judges Yamen El-Hajjar (presiding), Elissia Abou Jaoudeh, and Fatima Bazzi, issued a key ruling in a case filed by Mrs. Sara Audi Attaya, represented by her attorney Riad Hallaj, challenging a decision by the Baabda Land Registry Office dated April 10, 2025. The case concerns the removal of a restriction on the disposal of a property belonging to Fransabank, as well as Adel and Adnan Kassar.
The Mount Lebanon court concluded that the decisions made by the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Appeal to place restrictions on the disposal of real estate properties are invalid. These decisions were deemed an overreach of judicial authority, an infringement on rights, and a violation of all applicable laws—since such authority is solely vested in the competent civil courts.
As a result, the court ruled that previous decisions issued by former Mount Lebanon Public Prosecutor Judge Ghada Aoun—regarding the properties of banks, related individuals, and anyone affected by such decisions from appellate public prosecutors to place disposal bans on their properties—are invalid.
Several years ago, Judge Ghada Aoun had issued decisions placing disposal bans on real estate, vehicles, shares, and stakes in all commercial companies owned by a number of banks. She also placed such restrictions on the properties of bank board chairs and members of boards of directors.
Therefore, based on the recent decision of the Court of First Instance in Mount Lebanon, a new legal precedent has been set. This allows all individuals affected by seizure decisions from the appellate public prosecution offices to take legal action and begin proceedings to lift these restrictions on their assets and properties.
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