Charges filed by a prosecutor against the caretaker prime minister and three former ministers over the massive explosion in Beirut port has stirred controversy, with several parties rushing to PM Hassan Diab’s defense.
In a gesture of solidarity, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri visited Diab, saying the charges targeted the premiership as a position and were a violation of the constitution.
A similar criticism was voiced by Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian.
Four months since the port blast that killed 200 people, injured thousands and destroyed entire districts, victims are still awaiting the result of the investigation. Leaders had promised it would come within days.
The August 4 explosion, one of the biggest non-nuclear blasts on record, was caused by a massive quantity of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely for years.
In a surprise move Thursday, judge Fadi Sawwan filed charges against Diab and three former ministers, accusing them of negligence.
The four are the most senior officials to be charged in the investigation and are set to be questioned as defendants next week by Sawwan.
Hezbollah called on Sawwan to reconsider his decision, saying it lacked legal and constitutional basis and that the four were being selectively charged.
The three former ministers charged along with Diab are allies of Hezbollah. They are former Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, as well as Ghazi Zoaiter and Youssef Fenianos, both former ministers of public works.
Zoaiter, currently a lawmaker, said in a press conference on Friday that the judge deviated from constitutional rules and abused power.
The judge committed a “catastrophe” on the judicial scale, Zoaiter said, adding that he and the others charged would not be silenced by “any fake accusations.”
A statement from Diab’s office on Thursday accused Sawwan of violating the constitution and bypassing parliament.
Thursday's decision to charge senior officials — including one in office — was significant in Lebanon, where a culture of impunity has prevailed for decades, including among the entrenched political elites.
The move by Sawwan to exercise his jurisdiction to accuse government officials came after he sent a letter and documents to parliament last month, informing lawmakers of serious suspicions relating to government officials and asking them to investigate. The MPs responded by saying that the material they received did not point to any professional wrongdoing.
