Hassan Diab and three former ministers charged with negligence in the Beirut bombing

Fadi Sawan, the judicial investigator in the Beirut port bombing case, charged Hassan Diab, the acting prime minister, and three former ministers with “negligence, negligence and causing death” and injuring hundreds of people. , according to a judicial source told AFP.

The source pointed out that the ministers affected are the former Minister of Finance, Ali Hassan Khalil, and the two former Ministers of Public Works, Ghazi Zuaiter and Youssef Fenianos, and indicated that the interrogation sessions with them as defendants will take place next week.

He also added that Sawan’s decision came after verifying that they had received several written letters advising them not to postpone the maintenance of ammonium nitrate on the Beirut port campus, and not to take the necessary steps to prevent the devastating explosion and its effects. huge damage.

Lebanese authorities are investigating the explosion, which they attributed to storing huge amounts of ammonium nitrate for years in the port without preventive measures, and officials at various levels were found to be aware of the dangers of storing it without lifting a finger.

It is noteworthy that the explosion, which occurred on August 4, killed more than 200 people and injured 6,500 others. Diab’s government resigned due to the explosion, but is still in business for not forming a new government until now.

The four officials are the first politicians identified by Sawan in the Al-Marfa case, according to which at least 25 senior officials responsible for the management and security of the port were arrested.

In addition, the judicial source pointed out that the judicial investigator “informed the Prime Minister’s office, Hassan Diab, about the content of the complaint, and informed him that next Monday he will go to government offices to be questioned as the accused.” Investigative sessions were also scheduled for next week to question the three ministers as “accused.” .

It is noteworthy that Sawan was a request last month by Parliament to investigate current and former ministers on suspicion of having committed violations or crimes related to the explosion, after a review prepared by the Prosecutor’s Office for Discrimination, in which it considered that the prosecution of ministers for violations or possible crimes committed during their exercise of ministerial functions is the competence of the Supreme Court Presidents and ministers.

The judicial source explained that Sawan, after Parliament refused to respond to his request, “accused Diab and the three ministers of criminal offenses that fall within their jurisdiction and jurisdiction, and separated from the political responsibility that was requested to the parliament to investigate. “

Truth International – Agencies