The Lebanese Army Intelligence arrested on Friday the president of a private university over his suspected involvement in a cash-for-degrees scandal.
Security sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Army Intelligence put AUL rector Dr. Adnan Hamzah under tight monitoring at the hospital where he was transferred after claiming to have fallen ill.
Hamzah will be questioned by the Public Prosecution after his health improves, the sources added.
On Friday, the army command said in a statement that ten suspects have been referred to the military tribunal after forging university degrees.
“Investigations continue under the supervision of the competent judiciary," it said.
The sources said that after being questioned, some detainees confessed on the involvement of Hamzah in the sale of fake university degrees, prompting the Public Prosecution to order his arrest.
Earlier this week, Hamzah told a local television station that for the past ten years, he has been sending reports to the Education Ministry informing it about the fake degrees issued by his university. However, he said, the Ministry’s director general failed to take any measure.
Separately, Lebanon’s judiciary continued on Friday its clampdown on suspects accused of bribery and abuse of power.
The military prosecution arrested one of the bodyguards of State Prosecutor Samir Hammoud over suspicions that he had received bribes in return for favors.
A judicial source said the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch provided Hammoud with information about his bodyguard and received the judge’s consent on questioning him.
The sources said that after completing investigations, Hammoud instructed Intelligence Branch investigators to contact the military prosecution, which in its turn ordered that the bodyguard be detained.
