Truth Never Retires

A Fighter for Truth and Justice

In a country riddled with corruption, Judge Ghada Aoun emerged as a tireless defender of truth and justice. She boldly investigated the wrongdoing of high-ranking officials and fearlessly pursued cases against the once-untouchable Governor of the Central Bank and several major commercial banks. Determined to uncover the disappearance of public funds, she exposed how $3.5 billion was siphoned out of the country by banks at the onset of the financial crisis, while ordinary citizens were locked out of their own savings.

Rana Sabbagh’s relentless investigative work played a crucial role in uncovering the financial misconduct that ultimately led to the case against Riad Salameh. Her deep-dive reporting shed light on the mechanisms of corruption, revealing how billions were siphoned away while ordinary citizens bore the brunt of Lebanon’s financial collapse.

I interviewed Rana on Sunday in Amman, and one day after our conversation, Judge Ghada Aoun, one of the few in the judiciary who dared to take action against these revelations, announced her departure in a moving note on X platform. The timing is striking: one exposes the truth, the other is sidelined for pursuing it.

Their stories, though distinct, intersect at the core of Lebanon’s struggle for justice, where those who fight corruption often pay the highest price.

Even in her final days in office, she refused to back down, launching new cases against five banks and the former Central Bank governor. She fought until the very end, refusing to surrender to injustice.

A Struggle Against Corrupt Forces

Her crusade for transparency clashed head-on with the entrenched corruption within the state apparatus. Those she threatened used every means to silence her. She was accused of "bias" and dragged before a disciplinary council. "I am being punished for doing my job" , she protested. Despite her appeal, the verdict was swift: her removal, unanimously decided after multiple complaints from the very people she had been investigating.

Even political authorities stepped in to stifle her efforts; in 2023, the Prime Minister and Interior Minister sought to block her investigations, accusing her of "overstepping her powers" after she indicted banks for money laundering. By June 2024, the judicial hierarchy went further, stripping her of her authority and issuing an internal circular barring security forces from executing her orders, effectively rendering her powerless.

Yet, in the face of these maneuvers, Judge Aoun remained defiant. Deprived of institutional support, she found ways to circumvent the barriers, delivering her decisions through bailiffs and even by mail rather than succumbing to intimidation. Her journey was that of a true resistor, one who, against all odds, stood firm against a system determined to silence her.

A Precious Ally Lost

With her forced retirement, Judge Ghada Aoun leaves behind a profound void for all those who still believe in justice. The pensioners robbed of their savings, the exhausted teachers struggling to survive, the honest workers crushed by the crisis, the expats who sent their money back home … all see her departure as the loss of a brave ally who carried their hopes. For a people long betrayed, she represented the possibility that those who stole their future might one day be held accountable. Her exit from the judiciary feels like yet another abandonment, another blow to those who dared to believe that someone in power was truly fighting for them.

Two Perspectives on Her Departure: Relief for the Corrupt, Despair for the Honest

The contrast surrounding her departure is striking. On one side, the corrupt and their accomplices quietly rejoice the uncompromising judge who threatened their impunity is gone, and with her, the fear that they might one day be held to account. Behind the walls of power and finance, sighs of relief are heard, perhaps even glasses of champagne raised in celebration of the justice system losing one of its fiercest warriors.

On the other side, honest citizens and believers in the rule of law mourn the loss. They recognize that her exit is a devastating blow to justice and to the nation. They grieve the departure of a woman who dared to challenge the powerful and say no to impunity. For them, today is a day of mourning for justice itself, while those who thrive on lawlessness revel in their victory.

A More Nuanced View

Judge Aoun was not without controversy. Some say she was selective in her cases, leaving certain files untouched. Others criticize her approach, arguing that she sometimes acted alone rather than within the system. But if she was the problem, why haven’t the dozens of other judges stepped up to do what she did? If she made mistakes, why hasn’t anyone else taken on the fight for accountability?

Ultimately, this is not just about one judge. It’s about the billions stolen, the savings that vanished, and the people who suffer while those responsible walk free. That is what matters. And that is what we should all be talking about.

The Fight for Truth Must Continue

Judge Ghada Aoun may be stepping away from the battlefield, but the torch she carried must not be extinguished. Her retirement is not the end of the story.

It is now up to us, citizens, honest legal professionals, and defenders of justice, to pick up where she left off and refuse to accept the triumph of corruption.

Truth never retires. And the Lebanese people will continue to fight for it, against all odds.