By Youssef Diab
Daily Star staff
BEIRUT: An accused Israeli collaborator on Thursday denied involvement in the assassination of Islamic Jihad leaders in 2006, saying that he was busy in surveillance for the Israelis elsewhere at the time of the murder.
The testimony by retired Surete General Brigadier Adib Alam came during the trial of Mahmoud Rafeh at the Military Tribunal, for the May 26, 2006 murder of brothers Mahmoud and Nidal Majzoub from the group Islamic Jihad.
The tribunal heard the testimony of Alam and his wife Hayat Salome, who are witnesses in the Rafeh case.
Alam denied having participated in the assassination and denied having any information about the murder.
Asked about his whereabouts on the day of the crime and the night that preceded it, Alam said he was having dinner with his wife at a seaside restaurant in Jbeil.
Alam claimed that he went to the restaurant upon the request of an Israeli officer called “Anthony” who asked him to monitor the movement cars and passengers on the roads near the restaurant. He added that he received two calls from Anthony that day and that his reconnaissance mission lasted till midnight on May 25, 2006.
Alam told the tribunal that he was unaware of the purposes of the mission or of its connection with the assassination of the Majzoub brothers.
Alam added that on May 25, 2004, he also received a call from Anthony asking him to meet at a beach in Jbeil where he handed over a number of objects, which included a small refrigerator containing exploration equipment, photographs, maps and information about the locations of the Syrian army in Lebanon.
“We exchanged devices like we did every two months because the Israelis would take my device full of information and would give me a new one,” he told the tribunal.
Alam’s wife supported his story and said her husband didn’t inform her of the killing.
As for Rafeh, he admitted going to the restaurant after the assassination took place, but denied ever meeting with Alam there.
The tribunal also heard the testimony of Nasser Nader, the owner of a communication store in Jounieh. Nader denied all knowledge of the assassination and denied having any contact with Rafeh. – The Daily Star
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