In the context of the
lawsuit filed by the "Lebanese Forces" on November 2007 against
Sheikh Pierre Daher, LBCI, and foreign companies, the Lebanese Cassation Court
- Criminal Chamber consisting of its president Judge Joseph Samaha, his
consultants Walid Al Kadi and Sabouh El-Hajj Sleiman, issued a decision
concerning the appeals presented before the court by both parties, appealing
the decision of the Beirut Accusatory Committee.
The Cassation Court's decision rejected the appeal request filed by
Daher, LBCI
and foreign companies, and approved the Lebanese Forces appeal ratifying the
Beirut Investigative Judge's decision in rejecting the formal defenses as well
as accusing the defendants and referring them to the Sole Criminal Judge in
Beirut.
Thus, the Cassation Court made the lawsuit effective once again after the
Beirut Accusatory Committee had dismissed it based on the effect of passage of
time.
The Sole Criminal Judge in Beirut will look into the case once the lawsuit is
referred to office.
This
denies false information circulated via the media about "the decision
being definitive and proving the Lebanese Forces' ownership of LBCI."
Both the Cassation Court and the investigative judge's decisions are just
assumptions and cannot be deemed valid.
The Cassation decision literally denies the completion of any criminal
elements, stressing that the courts of First Instance, Appeal and Cassation
will be the sole decision takers in the aforementioned case and their decisions
cannot predetermined or speculated.
The procedure will include hearing witness testimonies, legal discussions and presenting
documentation.
In the meantime, nothing will be changed at LBCI
nor will the company be affected by the decision of the Court
of Cassation, both
in terms of its administrative
structure or ownership of fixed shareholders who are legally protected, or
in terms of its information
policy and programs and its general sense of objectivity
and news impartiality.
For the full report, please click on the VIDEO above.