Naharnet - Accusations Against al-Jarrah Move to Judicial, Prosecution Levels - April 18, 2011

The head of the Higher Lebanese Syrian Council, Nasri Khoury, said he would start contacts with the judiciaries and the prosecutions of the two countries to deal with the Syrian accusations against al-Mustaqbal movement MP Jamal al-Jarrah. Khoury told As Safir daily in remarks published Monday that President Michel Suleiman informed him during their meeting over the weekend that he should follow-up the issue to "have a clear picture" on the accusations.Last week, Syrian state-run television aired "testimonies" of three people saying they had received funds and weapons from al-Jarrah to fuel a wave of protests against the ruling Baath regime. The lawmaker met on Saturday with Speaker Nabih Berri whose circles confirmed to As Safir that Berri was waiting for the completion of the file on al-Jarrah so that he could call for a meeting of his bureau committee to take the appropriate action on the case. The circles said that Berri advised al-Jarrah to "calm down" as long as he is confirming that the Syrian accusations against him are false. Meanwhile, Syria's ambassador Ali Abdul Karim Ali accused al-Mustaqbal movement of rejecting to unveil the truth in the alleged arms smuggling case. "Special relations between Lebanon and Syria and joint security compel keenness on knowing the truth," Ali told As Safir. He made further accusations against al-Mustaqbal, saying that the media has unveiled "incitement of unrest and chaos in Syria and the blackmail of Syrian workers and students in Lebanon."