Today, the Lebanese judiciary accused the caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab and 3 former ministers of negligence and negligence and causing the death and injury of thousands of people in the Beirut port explosion in early August, while Diab said he was clear of conscience about his handling of the incident.
The French Press Agency quoted a judicial source as saying that the judicial investigator in the Beirut Port bombing case, Fadi Sawan, charged Thursday against the caretaker prime minister, Hassan Diab, and former Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, and the former ministers of public works and transport Ghazi Zuaiter and Youssef Fenianos, on charges of "negligence and negligence." Causing the death of hundreds of people. "
The judicial source added that the interrogation sessions of the defendants will take place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, as the judicial investigator will go to the government headquarters to interrogate Hassan Diab, while the three ministers will be questioned at the Palace of Justice in the capital, Beirut.
Ammonium nitrate
According to the same source, Sawan’s decision came after it was confirmed that they (the accused) had received several written communications warning them not to procrastinate in keeping the ammonium nitrate in the Beirut Port campus, and not to take the necessary measures to be taken to avoid the devastating explosion and its massive damages.
On August 4, a huge explosion occurred in Ward No. 12 of Beirut Port, and according to official estimates, it contained about 2,750 tons of high explosive ammonium nitrate, which was confiscated from a ship and stored since 2014. The explosion killed more than 200 People and injured 6,500 others.
Diab's government has resigned over the explosion, but it is still doing business for not forming a new government until now.
Hassan Diab: I am confident of the cleanliness of my hands and my responsible and transparent handling of the file of the Beirut Port explosion (Al-Jazeera)
The four officials are the first politicians identified by Sawan in the Al-Marfa case, according to which at least 25 high-ranking officials responsible for the port’s management and security were arrested, and three others were issued in absentia for being outside Lebanon.
A clear conscience
On the other hand, the caretaker prime minister commented on the judiciary’s decision by saying that he was clear of conscience about his handling of the blast file. He added in a statement that he “is confident of his clean hand and his responsible and transparent handling of the Beirut port explosion file. By targeting the prime minister's position from any party. "
Last month, the judicial investigator asked the Lebanese Parliament to investigate the political responsibility of current and former ministers for the incident, on suspicion of having committed violations or crimes related to the explosion.
After Parliament refused to respond to Sawan’s request, he directed the prime minister and the three former ministers "criminal offenses within his jurisdiction and jurisdiction."