Assad’s billionaire cousin denies tax evasion, begs for help in Facebook video
Syrian telecom tycoon Rami Makhlouf has made a rare public statement calling on his cousin President Bashar al-Assad to dismiss charges of tax evasion.
In the latest twist in the family drama involving the Syrian president and his internationally sanctioned billionaire cousin, businessman Rami Makhlouf denied charges of dodging taxes and issued a rare direct plea to his maternal cousin, Bashar al-Assad.
“We are not evading taxes. We are not manipulating the state and the country, because you are our people,” Makhlouf said, addressing Assad directly.
In his post, Makhlouf claimed his telecommunications company paid 12 billion Syrian pounds ($23 million) in taxes last year and shared half its revenue with the state.
“After reports about a donation we planned to make during the holy month of Ramadan to assist our people, things went out of control," he said. "We received threats to stop our work simply because we dared to publicly offer assistance to the needy,” he said.
