Maj. General Ashraf Rifi
Former justice minister and retired Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi revealed Thursday that he has testified before Judge Fadi Sawwan that Iran had sent the ammonium nitrate shipment that eventually caused the August 4 catastrophic explosion at Beirut’s port.
He urged in a statement Judge Sawan to publish his testimony publicly : “Today I call on Judge Sawwan to publish my testimony publicly and I tell Hezbollah not to think that it has managed to limit the probe into the crime of the century at the port to some officials who knew of the presence of the ammonium bomb but remained silent.”
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Parliament has asked Judicial Investigator Judge Fadi Sawwan to submit a file detailing any “serious suspicions” he has regarding officials he has charged or intends to charge in the ongoing probe into the devastating August 4 explosion at Beirut’s port.
“We have received a letter from Judge Sawwan and it has been decided not to publish it in the media out of respect for the Lebanese judiciary and keenness from us on it performing its work to the fullest,” Deputy Speaker Elie Ferzli announced after a meeting for Parliament Bureau chaired by Speaker Nabih Berri.
“We hope facts will be reached regarding the port’s crime and its reasons,” Ferzli added.
BEIRUT: The judicial investigator of the Beirut port bombing has said he will interrogate caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab at 9 a.m. on Friday. The move means the judge has decided to proceed with his allegations against those accused of involvement in the explosion crime on Aug. 4, in which 202 people were killed. Judge Fadi Sawan was supposed to go to the Prime Minister’s office on Monday to interrogate Diab after he had charged him and 3 other ministers with “negligence causing the death and injury of hundreds of people.” The massive explosion of tons of ammonium nitrate injured more than 6,500 people and destroyed Beirut’s waterfront and entire residential neighborhoods.