Saturday 12/12/2020
Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri walks with Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab at the governemt palace in Beirut, Lebanon, December 11, 2020. (REUTERS)
BEIRUT --The unprecedented move to press charges against senior Lebanese officials, including caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab, over the massive Beirut port explosion could be a first step to ending impunity in the country.
However, the investigating judge's decision to disregard some officials suspected of sharing the blame has sparked controversy.
Investigative Judge Fadi Sawan, who is probing the August 4 explosion caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser stored at Beirut port since 2013, charged Diab with carelessness and negligence leading to death of more than 200 people.