By Youssef Diab
BEIRUT: The interrogation of former
Information Minister Michel Samaha over his alleged role in a terror plot was
cut short Thursday after protests by his defense attorney. Judicial sources
told The Daily Star that Samaha’s second round of interrogation ended less than
an hour after the session convened at around 11:30 a.m.
The sources said Military Judge Riad
Abu Ghida postponed the session after Samaha’s attorney Malek Sayyed protested
over what he said was the failure to implement Article 77 of the Criminal
Procedural Law.
Article 77 stipulates that the
“investigating judge must take into account the principle of the defendant’s
free will during interrogation and ensure that the defendant’s testimony is not
the result of psychological pressure or duress.”
Abu Ghida postponed the session
until after Eid al-Fitr, but no specific date was set.
The sources said that Abu Ghida
argued that Sayyed and Samaha’s other attorney, Youssef Finyanous – who did not
attend Thursday’s session – should have made this objection during the first
session.
But Abu Ghida referred Sayyed’s
proposal to the military prosecution to make its recommendations.
Wearing blue jeans and a striped
T-shirt, Samaha looked upbeat when he arrived at Abu Ghida’s office before
midday. He was brought from the Rihana Military Police prison in Mount Lebanon.
On Monday, Abu Ghida probed Samaha
who, along with a high-ranking Syrian army official, has been charged in a
terror plot to destabilize Lebanon.
In his confession to the Internal
Security Forces Information Branch shortly after his arrest on Aug. 10, Samaha
said Syrian President Bashar Assad wanted bomb attacks in Lebanon, according to
sources.
An undercover agent, identified as
Milad Kfouri by security sources, provided incriminating footage in the Samaha
case. Kfouri reportedly left Lebanon sometime after the police raid on Samaha’s
residences in Beirut’s Ashrafieh and Metn’s Khanshara-Jwar, over fears for his
safety.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Shakib
Qortbawi overturned Acting State Prosecutor Samir Hammoud’s decision to
publicly display explosive devices and other items confiscated from Samaha by
the ISF. Qortbawi did not elaborate on his decision.
Earlier Thursday, Hammoud had
ordered the ISF to display the confiscated items to the media.
Security sources said that among the
confiscated items were 24 explosive devices amounting to 110 kilograms.
According to the sources, four of
the explosive devices weighed 20 kilograms each and the remaining 20 explosives
weigh between half and 1 kilogram each.
“The small explosive devices are
sticking bombs that could be placed under a car,” the sources said.
Some 20 detonating devices were also
confiscated by the ISF.
The ISF sources said that most of
the explosive devices are similar to the devices used in the assassinations of
Samir Kassir and George Hawi and the assassination attempt of journalist May
Chidiac.
Security sources added that a sample of the
devices retrieved has been sent abroad for examination.http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Aug-17/184908-samaha-probe-postponed-over-objections.ashx#axzz23pl5xycQ
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