Explosion at the port of Beirut: the judge in charge of the investigation will not be relieved
The port of Beirut one year after the deadly explosion of August 4, 2020. REUTERS - MOHAMED AZAKIR
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
An appeals court in Lebanon on Monday rejected requests for relinquishment presented by three deputies against Judge Tarek Bitar, in charge of the investigation into the double explosion of the port of Beirut.
On August 4, 2020, the explosion of several hundred tons of ammonium nitrate stored without precautionary measures in the port left 214 dead, 6,500 injured and destroyed part of the Lebanese capital.
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With our correspondent in Beirut,
Paul Khalifeh
After
suspending his investigation
for ten days, Judge Tarek Bitar returned to his office on Monday, October 4.
He plans to summon for questioning the three deputies who tried to obtain his relinquishment.
Accused of "negligence" and "breaches", the former interior ministers Nouhad Machnouk, Finance Ali Khalil and Public Works Ghazi Zeaïter had lodged a complaint against the magistrate before the date of their appearance.
Showdown between justice and politicians
After being rejected by the court of appeal, they are now considering taking the case to the court of cassation.
The standoff between justice and the political class has been going on since the start of the investigation, more than a year ago.
Fadi Sawan, Tarek Bitar's predecessor, was dismissed last February after strong pressure.
Parliament rejected Tarek Bitar's request to lift the immunity of the three indicted deputies.
Invoking the Constitution, the chamber considered that they could not be tried by a criminal court but before a special court.
The magistrate ignored these arguments and demanded to question these three politicians as well as the former Prime Minister Hassane Diab, who is in the United States.
But its task is far from easy.
The Minister of the Interior refuses to have the judge's decision executed by the police.
► To read also: Explosion of the port of Beirut: "Lebanese officials knew there was a risk"
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Lebanon
Justice