Judge Walid Al-Kadi appointed to look into indictment issued against Samaha

The Head of the Higher Judicial Council Judge Jean Fahed appointed on Wednesday Judge Walid Al-Kadi to look into the appeal presented by State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr in the indictment issued against Former Minister Michel Samaha and Syrian Security chief Ali Mamlouk.

On Monday, Judge Joseph Samaha had declined from studying 2 articles pertaining to the indictment issued by the Military Investigative Judge Riad Abou Ghaida in the file of Former Minister Michel Samaha and Major General Ali Mamlouk. He referred the file on Monday to Judge Fahed and the Cassation Court accepted his request on Tuesday.

Former Minister Michel Samaha was arrested on Thursday 9th of August 2012 by the Internal Security Forces’ Information Branch on suspicion of involvement in a plot to carry out terrorist attacks in Lebanon in collaboration with Syria. He was charged by the government’s deputy commissioner at the Military Tribunal on Aug. 11 2012, alongside Syrian National Security Bureau head Ali Mamlouk and a Syrian army officer identified as Brig. Gen. Adnan with plotting to assassinate political and religious figures in Lebanon and carrying out terrorist attacks.The three men were accused of planning to incite sectarian clashes through terrorist attacks in North Lebanon during the Eid using explosives that Samaha allegedly transported to Lebanon and stored after taking possession of them from Mamlouk and Adnan.

An indictment was issued by Lebanon's Military Prosecutor Riad Abou Ghaida on Wednesday Feb. 20 2013, requesting a death sentence for Samaha and Mamlouk.