Harb: I will set Madi as an example of what will happen to corrupt judges

MP Boutros Harb held a press conference whereby he tackled the issue pertaining to his assassination attempt and the call of the Prosecutor to lift his political immunity.
     
During the conference, MP Harb said that it is shameful to hold a conference for this issue during times like these in light of the upcoming elections and the Arsal incidents.                        

Harb also mentioned the issue of illegal weapons in Lebanon and said that accepting the weapons of one group over the other has "turned our country into a fertile land for illegal arms" and added that the presence of these extra arms led to the deterioration of security in the country; thus, leading to his assassination attempt.                     

MP Harb called on the State Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi not to hide behind the judiciary or lead other judges to support his stance and added that the latter dealt with his assassination attempt in a "cold manner".           

Harb praised the stance of President Michel Sleiman and said that Presidential sources revealed that questions arose as a result of Judge Madi's delay in taking action in regards to suspect Mahmoud Hayek.           

"In reaction to my response to Madi, the latter called for lifting my political immunity, turning the aggressor into the victim," Harb said.    Harb mentioned that suspect Hayek refused to appear before the ISF Intelligence Bureau leading to the interruption of the investigations and pointed out that Judge Madi is involved in covering his assassination attempt since he took sides with some political powers in Lebanon, mainly Hezbollah.                     

In this context, Harb called for lifting his political immunity so he may face Judge Madi before the law. He also called on the Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi to take a firm stance against "Madi's trespasses".                 

"I will file a lawsuit against Madi and I will not remain silent over this issue in order to set him as an example to others in the future," Harb concluded.

In turn Judge Madi spoke to LBCI saying that his response to MP Harb, should he chose to reply will be legal and civilized.

"I will not speak in a derogatory manner,' he said.  

An explosive device was found inside the elevator of MP Boutros Harb’s office building at Sami el-Solh Boulevard on Thursday July 5th, 2012. Security guards within the building suspected strange incomers and proceeded to arrest one of the men. The man was armed with a knife which injured the security guards along a Doctor who had been at the scene of the incident.                 

Subsequently a four wheel drive arrived at the scene claiming to belong to a Military Intelligence patrol unit. The armed man was taken and delivered to the authorities.          

On February 1st 2013, the Government Commissioner to the Military Court, Judge Sakr Sakr filed a lawsuit against Mahmoud al-Hayek on charges of attempting to assassinate MP Harb at his office in Badaro in addition to other terrorist acts. The lawsuit was later referred to the First Military Investigative Judge.              

On the 4rth of February 2013, State Prosecutor Hatem Madi demanded that MP Boutros Harb’s political immunity be lifted for insulting judiciary and President Sleiman in the wake of the Government Commissioner’s decision.