The Publications Court found Ad-Diyar publisher Charles Ayoub guilty Wednesday of defamation and publishing false information.
The charges arose due to a complaint by Butec chairman Nizar Younes after Ayoub accused Younes and Energy Minister Gibran Bassil in Ad-Diyar of unethical dealings over an electricity barges deal.
The judge ordered Ayoub to pay LL18 million in fines and another LL10 million in damages. Managing editor Youssef Howayyek must pay LL6 million in fines and LL4 million in damages, while Ayoub’s An-Nahda company must pay LL4 million.
