Miss Universe Judge Resigns amid Claims Top 30 Was Pre-Selected

One of the judges for this year’s Miss Universe pageant has suddenly dropped out three days before the international event is expected to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, on Nov. 21.

On Tuesday, Nov. 18, composer Omar Harfouch posted to his Instagram Stories to announce the reason for his bombshell withdrawal. He began by expressing his “profound confusion and concern” after learning that an “impromptu jury” was allegedly formed to choose 30 finalists from the 136 countries meant to participate.

Harfouch claimed that he learned about the selection committee via social media. He also claimed that none of the “real” eight judges were present when the group convened. “The results of this selection are currently being kept secret,” the pianist wrote on his Instagram Stories.

In a second post, Harfouch alleged that the unofficial judging panel is “composed of individuals with a significant potential conflict of interest due to some [personal] relationships with some of the Miss Universe contestants, including the person responsible for counting the votes and managing the results, which constitutes a further conflict of interest.”

He then claimed to have spoken up to Miss Universe officials regarding his “disapproval of this preliminary selection.” Harfouch claimed that the pageant responded by rushing “to publish a list of names associated with the selection on their Instagram page,” though he notes that the post did not specify “the [roles] played by these [individuals].”

He was likely referring to Miss Universe’s recent upload featuring a carousel of selection committee members, which was shared on Monday, Nov. 17. Harfouch was not one of the eight people included in the post, which was captioned, “Meet the inspiring members of the Beyond the Crown Selection Committee for the 74th Miss Universe Competition✨.”

The pageant’s response, Harfouch said, created “even greater confusion.” In a final Instagram Stories post, he concluded that he would not be participating in the upcoming Miss Universe competition.

“After having a disrespectful conversation with [Miss Universe CEO] Raul Rocha about the lack of transparency in the Miss Universe voting process, l decided to resign from the jury and refuse to be part of this charade,” Harfouch wrote. “I will also not be playing the music composed for the event.”

On Nov. 18, the Miss Universe Organization posted a statement on the pageant’s official Instagram page, stating its intention to “clarify certain inaccuracies regarding the Beyond the Crown Program and the official judging processes of the 74th Miss Universe competition.”

The pageant claimed Harfouch’s comments shared on his Stories were incorrect. “The Miss Universe Organization firmly clarifies that no impromptu jury has been created, that no external group has been authorized to evaluate delegates or select finalists, and that all competition evaluations continue to follow the established, transparent, and supervised MUO protocols,” the statement read.

“Given [Mr. Harfouch’s] expressed confusion, his public mischaracterization of the program, and his stated desire not to participate, the Miss Universe Organization respectfully acknowledges his withdrawal from the official judging panel,” the pageant wrote.

The statement went on to publicly prohibit the former judge from “using, displaying, referencing, or associating himself with any Miss Universe trademarks, service marks, logos, titles, or registered properties, in any format, medium, or communication, whether digital, written, or verbal.”

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“The Miss Universe Organization encourages the public, media outlets, and fans worldwide to rely solely on verified MUO communications and to continue supporting the delegates whose leadership, service, and dedication reflect the true values of Miss Universe,” the pageant concluded in its response.

The Miss Universe Organization did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.