Lebanon lawmaker denies US accusation of money smuggling

BEIRUT (AP) — A Lebanese legislator who was targeted by U.S. sanctions has denied accusations that he smuggled tens of millions of dollars out of his crisis-hit country. Jamil el-Sayyed, a former security chief and a current member of parliament, challenged his accusers to reveal the name of a government official whom they said helped him transfer the funds. El-Sayyed was sanctioned Thursday along with two Lebanese businessmen by the U.S. Treasury Department. El-Sayyed is an ally of the militant Hezbollah group. The U.S. agency said el-Sayyed sought to skirt informal capital controls imposed by local banks since November 2019.