Resigned Miss Universe judge Omar Harfouch reveals plans to pursue 'legal action' amid pageant scandal

One of the judges who suddenly resigned from the Miss Universe Pageant just days before it took place is currently considering "legal action" amid the ongoing scandal that has marred the competition.

Omar Harfouch, a Lebanese composer and musician, had been on the selection panel until he announced he was quitting in a series of Instagram stories, labelling the pageant a "charade".

He alleged an "informal jury" had been assembled in secret to select the 30 Miss Universe finalists jeopardising the legitimacy and fairness of the final outcome.

"I could not stand before the public and television cameras, pretending to legitimise a vote I never took part in," he wrote.

Now that the pageant is over and the winner was crowned - going to Fátima Bosch from Mexico - Harfouch has taken to Instagram, announcing his intentions to pursue legal action.

"I, Omar Harfouch, resigning member of Miss Universe International Jury, wish to inform the public that I have officially consulted one of the leading law firms in New York to examine the potential filing of a formal complaint before the Office of the Attorney General against the Miss Universe Organisation," he wrote.

"The issues under review include, but are not limited to: fraud, abuse of power, corruption, deception, breach of contract, conflict of interest, and emotional and reputational damages."

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Harfouch also continued to allege that a "secret and illegitimate vote was held to determine the Top 30 contestants before the arrival of the official jury".

He concluded his post with what he called a formal warning to "all past and current judges" that involvement in the judging panel "may legally implicate them in an act of global-scale fraud".

In an interview with People, Harfouch revealed that he and his legal team "were waiting to see if Miss Meixco won before we started to pursue legal action, and she did win".

He continued that he wants to "bring justice" to contestants, especially those he claims were "kicked out" by what he called an "informal jury".

The Miss Universe Organisation has refuted Harfouch's claims with its full chest, citing "certain inaccuracies".

"The Miss Universe Organisation firmly clarifies that no impromptu jury has been created, that no external group has been authorised to evaluate delegates or select finalists and that all competition evaluations continue to follow the established, transparent and supervised MUO protocols," the statement reads.

People reports that Harfouch also claims attempts were made to pressure him into voting for Bosch, who ultimately won the contest, due to alleged connections with her father.

The latest comes after the beauty pageant has been engulfed in scandal.

Alongside Harfouch's resignation, a second judge Claude Makélélé, resigned from his role as a judge but stayed mum on his reasoning.

Earlier, Bosch, who would go on to win the pageant, called out Thai Pageant Executive Nawat Itsaraggrisil, who reportedly chose to publicly single her out.

During a pre-pageant 'sashing' ceremony, Itsaraggrisil publicly confronted Bosch, accusing her – in a livestreamed event – of failing to participate in promotional material.

The exchange escalated into a verbal clash, resulting in Itsaraggrisil insulting Bosch and prompting a mass walk-out by other contestants.

Later, in another headline making incident, Dr Gabrielle Henry, Miss Universe Jamaica, fell from the main stage during the evening gown round of the preliminary competition in Bangkok, Thailand.

Bosch, was ultimately crowned the winner of Miss Universe just days after her fiery exchange with the contest exec.

To read more on the scandal that has surrounded the Miss Universe scandal, find a full explainer here.

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