Investigations
into the case of
former Minister Michel Samaha at the ISF's Information Division reached their final stages.
In this regard, well-informed security sources announced that investigations
may not be completed before Saturday noon, therefore, “Samaha will remain at
the ISF’s Information Division and will be later referred to the military court”.
Acting General Prosecutor, Judge Samir Hammoud, who is
personally following up on investigations and who has called for providing
security protection for Samaha, his residence and movements, announced that as soon as investigations are completed, the appropriate judicial proceedings will be taken according to evidence.
Investigations revealed that the weight of the confiscated "TNT" explosives
ranges between 1 and 20 kilograms and that the person employed by Samaha
to implement the operations was collaborating with security forces.
According to information
made available to LBCI, 24 explosive devices were found, 4 of which are gas
containers while the rest 20 are black circular boxes Samaha brought to Lebanon
3 days before his arrest. According to investigations, Samaha delivered these
devices along with $17,000 in the parking of the building he lives in in
Ashrafieh, to a person he tried to recruit. This person was reportedly
coordinating with the ISF’s Information Division at the same time. According to
the same sources, the delivery process is filmed.
Samaha acknowledged up to 90% of the evidence gathered by security forces.
This as some sources revealed that Hammoud briefed
Premiere Najib Mikati on the results of the preliminary investigations. The latter called for the completion of investigations "to clarify the circumstances of this case and for justice to run its course."
For its part, the Greek-Melkite Catholic Patriarchate
condemned the way Samaha’s house was raided, and the way he was arrested,
holding the security apparatus responsible for this “uncivilized behavior”.
In a statement, the Patriarchate warned of the politicizing and using the
judiciary to spur a multifaceted religious and security strife both in Lebanon
and Syria. “We leave it to the Judiciary to do its job with independence,
transparency and integrity”, the statement added.
Samaha was arrested on Thursday over involvement in explosion plots targeting northern regions in Lebanon.