Lebanon's Hezbollah chief, Hassan Nasrallah, called on Monday for the replacement of the lead investigator into the deadly Beirut port blast, saying he was biased and politicised.
It was his strongest criticism of Judge Tarek Bitar since the investigator's appointment.
“The targeting is clear, you are picking certain officials and certain people. The bias is clear,” he said in televised comments. He said Mr Bitar would never reach the truth if he continued with the investigation.
The Hezbollah Secretary General called for Mr Bitar to be replaced, saying he wanted a judge that was “transparent".
Mr Bitar is not permitted to speak to the media in his capacity as an investigating judge.
The investigation into the explosion on August 4, 2020, one of the biggest non-nuclear blasts in history, has made little headway amid a campaign against Mr Bitar and pushback from powerful Lebanese factions.
Hundreds of protesters rallied in Lebanon's capital last month, two days after the investigation into the deadly Beirut port blast was suspended for a second time.
The blast killed more than 200 people, injured thousands and destroyed swathes of the capital. But no top official has been held accountable.
Wafik Safa, a senior official in the powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah, warned Mr Bitar last month that the group would remove him from the inquiry, according to a journalist and a judicial source.
Mr Bitar's efforts to question former and current state officials, including the prime minister at the time of the blast, on suspicion of negligence have been repeatedly blocked.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in an interview last week that senior government officials must be tried before a special body in line with the constitution. He also said he has signed a draft law to lift immunity from all officials who may be implicated in last year's Beirut port explosion.
Three former ministers charged with criminal negligence in connection with the Beirut port blast have also asked the Lebanon Supreme Court to remove Mr Bitar, citing doubts about his impartiality, the state-run National News Agency reported last week.
The Court of Appeal said it had no authority to rule on requests filed by former ministers Ali Hassan Khalil, Ghazi Zeaiter, and Nohad Mashnouk to replace Mr Bitar.
Mr Bitar has scheduled sessions to question former finance minister Mr Khalil and former public works Mr Zeiter, both allies of Hezbollah, this week. They are not expected to appear.
Although Mr Bitar has sought to question several politicians who are allied to the group, he has not tried to question members of Hezbollah itself.
Mr Bitar is the second judge whose investigation has been stymied by powerful factions in Lebanon, where a lack of high-level accountability is blamed for systemic corruption, governing gridlock and economic meltdown.
His predecessor Fadi Sawan was removed in February by a Lebanese court, after a complaint filed against him by a former official he had charged with negligence.
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 0
Stoke City 0
Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
World Cup warm-up fixtures
Friday, May 24:
- Pakistan v Afghanistan (Bristol)
- Sri Lanka v South Africa (Cardiff)
Saturday, May 25
- England v Australia (Southampton)
- India v New Zealand (The Oval, London)
Sunday, May 26
- South Africa v West Indies (Bristol)
- Pakistan v Bangladesh (Cardiff)
Monday, May 27
- Australia v Sri Lanka (Southampton)
- England v Afghanistan (The Oval, London)
Tuesday, May 28
- West Indies v New Zealand (Bristol)
- Bangladesh v India (Cardiff)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Asia Cup Qualifier
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
Asia Cup
Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
