Mohsen Hojeij

Mohsen Hojeij is a Lebanese businessman and owner of the construction company Commisimpex. He is primarily known for a long-running arbitration dispute with the Republic of Congo.

Arbitration case against the Republic of Congo Commisimpex, founded by Mohsen Hojeij in the 1980s, carried out a series of public works projects in the Republic of Congo, including the rehabilitation of palm plantations, sanitation works in military camps, and the construction of worker villages. Only part of the payment was ever made, leading to a decades-long dispute between Hojeij and Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso, with whom Hojeij had once maintained cordial relations. Both awards have been recognized as final and unappealable judgments in multiple jurisdictions, including the United States, France, England, and Belgium, and Commisimpex has pursued enforcement proceedings across these and other countries. Congo has sought to overturn the 2013 ruling, alleging corruption and conflicts of interest among the arbitrators. In February 2020, the Paris Court of Appeal authorized Commisimpex to conduct enforcement measures on any non-diplomatic assets of the Republic of the Congo, including aircraft. Pursuant to this ruling, in June 2020 French bailiffs seized a Falcon 7X belonging to President Denis Sassou Nguesso while it was undergoing maintenance at Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport. The Bordeaux judicial court confirmed the seizure and authorized its auction in December 2022, a decision upheld by the Bordeaux Court of Appeal in June 2023. The aircraft was finally sold at auction in October 2023 for €7.1 million to partially satisfy the judgment debt. The Congolese government protested the sale, arguing that the presidential jet was protected by sovereign immunity, and announced plans to pursue legal remedies.