Since the Syrian National Council (SNC), the first coalition of opposition groups, was formed, donors have offered money to help the revolutionaries battling against the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad. But three years after the relief money started pouring in, allegations of mismanagement and even rampant corruption have surfaced, casting a shadow over the revolution. The influx of cash to the opposition has been as generous as it has been opaque, giving rise to suspicions that the recipients of relief funds have been less than scrupulous in managing their finances. After the formation of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (NCSROF), the income from aid and relief money was considerable. Available figures show that the opposition umbrella group may have received upwards of US$1 billion. But it seems that not all of this money was used to help refugees or bolster resistance against the regime. And in the absence of proper bookkeeping, many now accuse the opposition of having squandered, or even embezzled, the funds. Among the groups accused of financial irregularities are the NCSROF, the SNC, and the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood. For the past two years, several Syrian opposition leaders have lived abroad in five-star accommodation, on generous expense accounts that no one seems to be tracking. Many leftist opposition members, originally of modest means, recently acquired luxury homes in Arab and European countries. Some of them are said to have bought restaurants, hotels, and car dealerships. Syrian intellectuals, leftists, academics, Brotherhood members, human rights lawyers, relief activists, and many more are rumoured to have pocketed aid money. The Relief Coordination Unit (RCU) of the NCSROF is said to have received upwards of US$1.1 billion in donations. The money came from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and European countries, but it seems that no records were kept to show how much was received, from whom, and how it was spent. Experts say that the money received by the NCSROF was enough to provide for the Syrian refugees huddled in abject conditions in neighbouring countries. Many of these refugees are suffering from malnutrition and disease and live in tattered tents. About one million Syrian children refugees have no schools to attend. In response to the allegations, members of the Syrian opposition are demanding the formation of an auditing agency to help keep track of the funds. Fahd Al-Masri, head of the Centre for Strategic and Security Studies on Syria, is a member of a preparatory committee that is trying to set up such an agency. Such a step was vital, he told the Weekly. “Considering the amount of the money given by countries and agencies to support and provide relief to the Syrian people, and the complaints and reports of serious corruption including waste and theft of public funds, we need to establish transparency and accountability,” he said. According to Al-Masri, the auditing agency should be composed of independent figures who have the authority to investigate the finances of all the major opposition groups, the SNC and the NCSROF included. “We will form revolutionary courts to try the corrupt and the embezzlers,” Al-Masri promised. The RCU, the financial arm of the NCSROF in charge of helping all Syrians regardless of ethnicity or religion, has been singled out for blame. There are allegations that the RCU failed to disclose the amount of money it received or the way it was spent. The RCU employs more than 200 people, some of whom are said to be receiving monthly salaries of US$10,000 or more. Mahmoud Al-Haj Hamad, a former senior auditor in the Syrian Ministry of Defence, said that the need for financial supervision is urgent. Speaking to the Weekly, Hamad said that the failure of the SNC and NCSROF to have their funds audited had jeopardised the “fairness and integrity” of their operations. “Some of us who worked as auditors in the Syrian government offered to volunteer for this, but key figures in the SNC resisted the idea. We also presented proposals to the NCSROF, but they insisted that the monitoring agency be run by the NCSROF, which we refused because auditors must be independent,” he added. According to Hamad, the lack of accountability tempted people “to steal the money of the revolutionary Syrian people without fear of retribution.” The irony is all too clear, for one of the demands of the Syrian revolution has been to end the corruption of the Al-Assad family. But even with the opposition still not in power, it has apparently been infected with the same disease. Many now wonder what would happen if the regime were ousted and funds started pouring into the country for reconstruction. Unless proper auditing is in place, allegations of mismanagement or embezzlement will be hard to dismiss. Various opposition figures are said to have become billionaires over the last two years. One of the fastest ways to amass money at present is to set up a relief or media office, seek assistance, and then pocket a proportion of the subsequent donations. Hundreds of political, relief, and media offices have opened over the past couple of years, but many have not kept records of their funding or spending. According to Hamad, the corruption started among key opposition figures, and then their underlings were tempted to get a piece of the action. “Everyone claims that he is a revolutionary and opens an office for relief, which then receives apparently endless funds. There have been documented cases of theft and corruption. The whole thing is disgusting,” he said. Some opposition officials have criticised the lack of accountability within the RCU. Mamoun Sayyed Issa, who handles medical relief in the NCSROF refugee camps, bemoaned the shortages of food and medicine. According to Issa, thousands of patients are not receiving adequate medical care. Most refugees receive no more than a half loaf of bread per day, he said, adding that the NCSROF is failing to provide assistance to the refugees. “Tens of thousands of refugees living in tents receive half a loaf of bread a day. Even this half a loaf doesn't come from the NCSROF but from Arab and non-Arab societies. The milk we receive doesn't cover one tenth of the needs of the children. And everyone now gets upset at the mere mention of the NCSROF or the RCU,” Issa said. The only information available about the work of the NCSROF and the RCU is on their official websites. This is limited to reports about small projects, without any mention of total funding or expenditures. To reinforce accountability and transparency, Al-Masri is now calling on all donor countries and organisations to release figures about their donations. There are many volunteers who are willing to work for free to create an auditing agency, he said. To end the corruption, Al-Masri called for the creation of a national independent agency for inspection and auditing.
