Sharaa-led secret committee shakes down Syrian tycoons for $1.6bn: Report
The existence of the committee, led by the Syrian president's brother and an Australian national, has not been announced publicly
A secretive committee under Syria's US-backed leadership has quietly taken control of over $1.6 billion in assets formerly held by businessmen linked to President Bashar al-Assad's regime, according to a Reuters investigation published on 24 July.
The asset takeover, conducted outside public view, is part of an economic overhaul directed by Hazem al-Sharaa, the older brother of Syria's self-appointed president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as ISIS and Al-Qaeda commander Abu Mohammed al-Julani.
The government has not publicly acknowledged the committee's existence, yet it wields sweeping influence over business and investment in the country.
The committee is headed by Abraham Succarieh, an Australian of Lebanese descent, who is known by several aliases, including Abu Mariam and Ibrahim bin Mas'ud. Succarieh, sanctioned in Australia for alleged terrorism financing, left Brisbane in 2013 shortly before his brother carried out a suicide bombing in Syria.
Sources told Reuters the committee has negotiated directly with sanctioned and unsanctioned tycoons, demanding that they hand over substantial parts of their wealth in exchange for immunity and permission to resume operations.
Among the most significant targets was "The Group," a conglomerate of over 100 companies formed under Assad's economic czar, Ibrahim, and estimated to control up to 30 percent of Syria's economic output by 2024.
One key target was Syriatel, the country's main telecoms operator, now controlled by the committee through a newly appointed signatory.
Cham Wings, Syria's only private airline, was also restructured and rebranded as Fly Cham. Owner Issam Shammout surrendered 45% of the airline, paid $50 million, and transferred two aircraft to Syrian Air in exchange for immunity.
Business magnate Mohammed Hamsho, whose assets once exceeded $640 million, gave up 80 percent of his holdings under a similar deal. He retained about $150 million, while some family members maintained ownership of smaller companies.
Hazem al-Sharaa, who worked as a former PepsiCo manager in Iraq while his brother led Syria's Al-Qaeda affiliate, now plays a central role in guiding these economic transitions. He holds no official position but reportedly has wide authority over Syria's business affairs.
The consolidation of power in the hands of anonymous or foreign-born figures has raised concerns among diplomats and analysts. Four senior Western officials warned that such opacity could deter foreign investment and complicate Syria's reintegration into the global economy.
Public sentiment inside Syria is tense. "It's insulting to Syrians," said protester Abdel Hamid Al-Assaf, who joined demonstrations against Hamsho's return. "There is resentment in the Syrian street over the return of Assad's businessmen or anyone who worked hand in hand with Assad."
In 2022, Arabic media reports revealed that Sharaa and fellow leaders from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the group's stronghold in Idlib governorate invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Turkiye by seizing UN-delivered humanitarian aid shipments before later selling them on the black market.
According to a 2022 report by Sputnik Arabic, the leaders of HTS had enriched themselves by misappropriating international aid meant to help with the humanitarian crisis in Syria's rebel-controlled northern region, where the extreme poverty rate stood at 97 percent.