iloubnan - Riffi says Nahhas refused to give the ISF data on abduction of Estonians - May 27, 2011

Internal Security Forces (ISF) chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi said on Thursday that outgoing Telecom Minister Charbel Nahhas was not barred by ISF from entering the Telecom Ministry building, and that the ISF allows employees and officials to access the building whilst protecting the material inside.

Rifi said the ISF Intelligence Bureau agents thwarted an attempt to dismantle the installations, following an order OGERO Telecom General Director Abdul Monem Youssef to protect the installations according to a cabinet resolution issued in 2007 and dismantling these installations requires another resolution by the cabinet,he added.

"Dispute with the telecom minister dates back one month when we were denied telecom data during our investigation into the abduction of the seven Estonians," Rifi explained.

Rifi clarified said he consulted with outgoing Premier Saad Hariri before taking his decision to dispatch the ISF personnel to the building.

The ISF chief accused Nahhas of having organized and coordinated with a known political party to replace the Information Branch personnel deployed at the building with army troops.