Hassan Diab refuses to be questioned about the Beirut bombing
Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab.
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An official Lebanese source said today, Monday, that caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab refused to be questioned by a judge who accused him and three former ministers of negligence regarding the Beirut port explosion.
The accusations made by Judge Fadi Sawan last week sparked strong criticism from influential parties, including Hezbollah and Saad Hariri.
Some politicians indicated that Sawan was selective in determining whom to press charges and that he exceeded his powers by bringing charges against ministers.
But others like the Beirut Bar Association said his decision showed courage.
Diab, who took office in January, said he was clear of conscience about the August 4 blast, which killed 200 people, injured thousands and destroyed entire neighborhoods in the capital, Beirut.
Diab resigned after the disaster but continued to serve as caretaker prime minister.
The blast, which was one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in history, was caused by a huge amount of ammonium nitrate that had been insecurely stored for years.
The official source, who is from the Prime Minister's Office, said that Sawan called Diab's office last week to request an appointment with him today, Monday, but was informed of Diab's refusal to undergo interrogation.
Caretaker Interior Minister Mohamed Fahmy said that he will not implement any arrest warrants against Diab or other officials if they refuse to question them.
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Jumhuriya quoted him as saying, "Sorry, I will not implement."
He added, "Certainly I will not ask the security services to implement a judicial decision of this kind, and they will pursue me if they want."
On Friday, after his meeting with Diab, Hariri promised not to allow anyone to encroach on the prime minister’s position, a position that a Sunni holds under the sectarian power-sharing system.
The three accused former ministers are members of parties allied to Hezbollah, who said on Friday that the charges indicated "political targeting."
And two of them are members of the Shiite Amal movement, to which Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri belongs.
On Sunday, the Maronite Patriarch Bishara Boutros Al-Rahi expressed his hope that reactions to the step taken by Sawan would not hinder the investigation or lead to "a national division on a sectarian basis for which we cannot find a justification."
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