The key witness in the
case of ex-Minister Michel Samaha, Milad Kfouri, can’t be summoned by the judge
to give his testimony, security sources said on Wednesday.
“The witness is under
the Internal Security Forces protection, that vowed to safeguard him along with
his family,” the source said in comments published in An Nahar newspaper.
It noted that the ISF is
committed to the matter under the article 226 of ISF by-laws, which state that
the informant’s “identity will not be revealed to any reference or authority
unless” told otherwise.
Media reports said that
Kfouri, who has used several aliases, was allegedly behind reporting Samaha to
the ISF Intelligence Branch.
The source said that ISF
helped the family of Kfouri travel abroad before detaining Samaha last week. He
then followed them.
It denied that the cost
of the travel was paid by the ISF Intelligence Branch, and ruled out reports
that ISF provided them with more than $100,000.
“The ISF is only
committed to providing the informant and his family a monthly payment between
$5,000 and $10,000,” the source said.
Samaha will appear in
court again before Military Examining Magistrate Judge Riad Abu Ghida on
Thursday in the presence of one of his lawyers Youssef Finianos or Malek
al-Sayyed.
He was arrested on
Thursday and has reportedly confessed to plotting bombings in the North at the
behest of Syria’s security chief Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk; however, he denied his
statements later on Monday.
Government deputy
Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Sami Sader on Saturday charged Samaha
and Mamlouk with forming a group to commit crimes in Lebanon. The two were also
charged with plotting to assassinate political and religious figures.
Media leaks had said that
Samaha was working at Syrian orders to prepare explosives to be used in attacks
in northern Lebanon.http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/50082
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