BEIRUT: Head of the Court of Accounts Aouni Ramadan said 60 oil distribution firms may be involved in the red gasoil scandal, promising to pursue this case till the end.

Ramadan sent two auditors to the Deir Ammar and Zahrani refineries to examine the ledgers and receipts which show that they actually received and distributed the red gasoil one day before the end of the deadline to reinstate the VAT on this commodity.

He said 8 million liters of red gasoline had been hoarded in the market one day before the expiry of the deadline.

“All indications show that 60 companies are involved in this scandal. These firms reaped profits when the they sold the red gasoil at the previous price,” Ramadan explained.

Energy and Water Minister Gibran Bassil also vowed to pursue the case to the end, saying there would not be any political cover for any firm or individual involved in this scandal.

But the minster stressed that the companies which distributed the commodity according to the rates set by the Energy Ministry should receive commendations from the authorities.

“Any senior or junior government employee involved in this case should be held accountable,” Bassil added.

He said the Lebanese authorities and the entire media was on full alert because they want to know who hoarded the red gasoil and then sold it at higher rates when the VAT was reinstated.

Last month, the Cabinet approved a $15 million program which phased out the value added tax worth 9 percent of the final price of red gasoil. The price of red gasoil used for heating homes, electricity generation and running motor vehicles had been steadily increasing and currently stands at LL29,700 per 20 liters.