A few hours after his request to have one of Lebanon’s top security officers questioned was refused, the lead investigator into the Beirut Port Explosion has escalated the file to the Lebanese State Prosecutor.
Judicial investigator Judge Tarek Bitar has referred the rejected request to prosecute the head of Lebanese General Security, Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, to the State Prosecution, according to Al-Jadeed.
The law reportedly gives State Prosecutor Judge Ghassan Oueidat a period of 15 days to issue his judgment in this matter, after which Ibrahim’s immunity is automatically dropped.
The immunity lifting request sent to caretaker Minister Fahmi cites, “the refraining of security officials to exercise their powers, including Major General Ibrahim, especially after the latter was informed that the State Security apparatus at the port had opened an investigation related to dangerous ammonium nitrate materials in the sixth month of 2020, and that the Public Prosecution had been contacted on the grounds that these goods threaten public security and safety.”
Nonetheless, Fahmi refused to give his permission to question Ibrahim, who is one of several public figures that Judge Bitar aims to prosecute in his ongoing Beirut Blast investigation.
Judge Bitar has also requested that the immunities of other officials be dropped, but the Parliament meeting held on Friday to decide on this matter did not lead to any immediate decisions being taken, and that despite the public pressure of the families of the victims.
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