Twin Suspensions in Damascus
The Syrian Minister of Finance, Mohammad Yasir Barnieh, signed two suspension orders on 3 May 2026 affecting 29 finance-sector employees in the capital. The first decision removes 19 staff from the Finance Directorates of Damascus and Rural Damascus from their duties and refers them to investigation. The second decision suspends 10 employees of the state-owned Real Estate Bank in Damascus, also referred to investigation.
56 Damascus Staff on Leave
The directorate-level decision raises the cumulative number of finance-directorate employees placed on leave in Damascus and its suburbs to 46 since the campaign began. The minister had suspended 27 employees from the same two directorates in April. Counting the 10 Real Estate Bank suspensions, 56 finance-sector employees in the capital have been removed from their posts since the April action. The ministry said further decisions will be issued in succession and will eventually cover every directorate and affiliated institution under its umbrella.
Three Oversight Bodies Engaged
Each suspended employee has been referred to three external oversight bodies: the Central Authority for Control and Inspection, the Central Apparatus for Financial Control, and the Illicit Gains Commission. The ministry stated that recent resignations from the affected units do not exempt former staff from the same process, since resignation does not preclude the formal investigation. Each oversight body will follow its own procedure to determine disciplinary or criminal outcomes.
Intermediaries Face Licence Revocation
The ministry also confirmed it intends to revoke the licences of a large number of accredited intermediaries — the brokers and paperwork agents licensed to handle filings between citizens and finance offices — where investigators find them part of corruption networks. The anti-corruption campaign will run alongside service-side measures: procedural simplification, digitisation of services, and a new incentive framework intended to reinforce discipline among remaining staff.
Public Tip Line
Alongside the suspensions, the ministry repeated a public call for citizens and taxpayers to report violations through a dedicated WhatsApp number, 0990150150. It described public cooperation as an essential element of the integrity and accountability drive now underway across its directorates and affiliated institutions.