The judge in charge of the investigation into the explosion at the port of Beirut in 2020 was forced Thursday, November 4, for the third time, to suspend his investigations following the appeal of a former minister, a judicial source told AFP.
Read also Port explosion: judge Bitar facing the wall of Hezbollah
Tareq Bitar is under intense pressure, in particular from the powerful pro-Iranian Hezbollah, who accuses him of politicizing the investigation into this explosion which killed more than 215 people, and demands his replacement.
The case paralyzes the government, which has not met for three weeks due to Hezbollah's demands, and escalated into violence that left seven dead on October 14.
15 complaints against Judge Bitar
The magistrate "
was informed by the Court of Cassation of an appeal presented by former minister Youssef Fenianos (..) which forced him to suspend the investigation,
" said the judicial source.
Tareq Bitar had issued in September an arrest warrant remained unfulfilled against this former Minister of Public Works after his refusal to appear.
Read also Tarek Bitar, this judge who faces the Lebanese system
Politicians of all stripes refuse to be questioned by the judge, even though the authorities blamed the tragedy, which destroyed entire neighborhoods of Beirut, on the storage without precautionary measures of huge quantities of ammonium nitrate.
The politicians involved have lodged a total of fifteen complaints against Judge Bitar for obstructing the investigation, according to the judicial source, forcing him to suspend his investigations twice in October and September.
Some fear that the magistrate will meet the same fate as his predecessor, Fadi Sawan, dismissed in February after the indictment of senior officials.
Blamed for criminal negligence, the authorities are accused by the families of the victims and NGOs of torpedoing the investigation to avoid charges.
