DAMASCUS (SYRIA) – George Haswani, a Syrian businessman accused of having links to last year’s devastating blast in Beirut, has denied having any connections, adding that he knew nothing of a firm linked to the purchase of the fertiliser that exploded in the port.
He was accused by media outlets when it became clear that his firm, Hesco Engineering and Construction Company Ltd, had its corporate register at the same London address as British company Savaro Ltd. The Mozambique-based firm that ordered the fertiliser, FEM, said that the shipment was made through Savaro.
He said that Cypriot agency Interstatus was employed to register his firm, which also registered Savaro, adding that the agent had shifted the location of the registers to the same address on the same day.
He said he knew nothing about Savaro, adding that any links his company had with the firm were purely a coincidence as they used the same agent.
“I don’t know what other companies are registered by this Cypriot company, five or three or 70 or more,” Haswani said.
“It is a fabricated media whirlwind,” Haswani said referring to the reports that suggested he might have been implicated in the explosion. “We don’t know Savaro and we hadn’t heard about them before this.”
Marina Psyllou, who is the boss of Interstatus, is listed in Savaro’s registration documents as its owner and only director.
Last week she said that the firm’s beneficial owner was someone else, adding that Savaro was a dormant firm as it did not conduct business.