Over 200 people died in the huge explosion at Beirut's port on August 4
Credit: AP
A Lebanese prosecutor on Thursday placed the caretaker prime minister and three former ministers under investigation in connection with Beirut’s devastating port explosion, the country’s official news agency reported.
Hassan Diab, former finance minister Ali Hassan Khalil, and former ministers of public works Ghazi Zeiter and Youssef Fenianos, are accused of negligence leading to the death of over 200 people in the August blast that damaged much of the Lebanese capital.
Causing death due to negligence carries a penalty of six months to three years imprisonment under the Lebanese criminal code but the defendants could argue for immunity for actions carried out under official duties.
Documents released in the wake of the blast showed that authorities in Lebanon’s customs, military, security agencies and judiciary warned at least 10 times in six years about the danger posed by the stockpile of ammonium nitrate and other dangerous chemicals, which detonated in a warehouse fire on August 4.
Beirut gallery puff
Some 30 customs officials and members of the security forces have already been detained over the failure to act on these warnings but the four named men on Thursday are by far the most senior figures yet targeted in the probe, which is being conducted secretly.
Judge Fadi Sawwan, who is leading the investigation, filed charges after confirming that the four had received written notices “warning them against postponing the disposal of ammonium nitrate fertiliser,” a judicial source told the Daily Star newspaper.
"They did not take the necessary measures to avoid the devastating explosion and its enormous damage," the source said.
Map: Explosions rock Beirut port
In a letter to parliament last month, Judge Sawwan called for cabinet ministers to be investigated over "certain suspicions about the responsibility of those ministers and their failure towards addressing the presence of the ammonium nitrate at the port".
“It’s a step in the right direction, I hope it goes further and includes the president,” said Lebanese lawyer Majd Harb. “The same rule of law should apply to him. He knew of the explosives, he should have taken action.”
President Michel Aoun said he was first informed of the stockpile three weeks before the blast and ordered military and security agencies to do "what was needed," suggesting he had discharged his responsibility.
Mr Diab, who said he was informed about the “explosives” days before the blast, resigned shortly afterwards but stayed on in a caretaker role.
“All the people who are being charged are people who knew about dangerous material in the port and had the authority to order its removal but didn’t take necessary steps,” said Mr Harb, who in August filed a legal complaint against President Aoun and Mr Diab for allegedly failing to act.
Judge Sawwan is reportedly unwilling to consider immunity, Mr Harb said, but higher courts could rule that they are not qualified to judge the men.
“The court shouldn’t acknowledge immunity given the severity of the crime and the fact that those actions are not covered legally by immunity,” Mr Harb argued. “It’s a case of pure negligence, this is not strictly related to their jobs.”
He continued: “Given the political situation in Lebanon and given that they’re all not sitting ministers and don’t have much current support, I believe this might be taken further .”
Judge Sawwan said he would interrogate the four suspects next week.
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