Beirut Port blast probe: Judge Bitar presses officials in pursuit of accountability

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi  

Former General Security chief Major General Abbas Ibrahim appeared before Judge Tarek Bitar, the lead investigator in the 2020 Beirut port explosion case, for questioning on April 11, following a personal notification from the head of the Central Criminal Investigations Department, Brigadier General Nicolas Saad.

Ibrahim had filed a legal complaint just one day prior against Judge Bitar before the General Assembly of the Court of Cassation, citing procedural violations. 

Nevertheless, he attended the session, where he was interrogated for approximately three hours. No charges were brought against him, with the judge choosing to await the completion of all interrogations, as has been the case with other officials questioned since Bitar resumed his investigation in February.

According to legal sources, around 31 questions were directed at Ibrahim, mainly focused on the General Security Directorate's authority and correspondence it had received regarding the ammonium nitrate that caused the blast. 

When Bitar asked Ibrahim why he did not investigate the source of the nitrate, Ibrahim replied that the documents clearly stated its origin and destination and stressed that the directorate's jurisdiction pertains to individuals, not goods.

Speaking after the session, Ibrahim defended his legal motion against Bitar, describing it not as an attempt to obstruct justice, but as a means to assert his legal rights. He argued that Bitar had pursued him without prior approval from the Interior Minister while he was still in active service—an alleged administrative breach. 

However, legal experts point out that the General Assembly typically does not examine such cases unless a final ruling has been issued, which has yet to occur in the port explosion case.

Judge Bitar maintains that he does not require such approvals, relying on a 1995 legal precedent issued by the General Assembly under Judge Philippe Khairallah. The ruling concluded that decisions made by the Judicial Council, a special tribunal, are not subject to appeal and that the council is not hierarchically subordinate to the Court of Cassation.

Following Ibrahim's session, Major General Tony Saliba also appeared for questioning. 

Saliba has already been heard three times in connection with the case—once by the Public Prosecutor's Office and twice by Judge Fadi Sawan, Bitar's predecessor. He brought a thick file of documents and reiterated that he had fulfilled his duties by reporting the presence of the nitrate when he was head of State Security. 

Sources close to Saliba say the documents highlight which authorities were informed of the threat and the need to remove the hazardous material. Judge Bitar is expected to cross-check the statements made by Saliba to ensure consistency.

As Bitar prepares to summon political figures and judges in upcoming sessions, he continues to proceed cautiously, aiming to complete the investigation without legal pitfalls. 

Meanwhile, a French judicial delegation, including two female judges, is expected to arrive in Beirut soon in response to a letter of request Bitar sent to French authorities. The cooperation follows France's decision to launch its own probe into the explosion, which killed multiple French nationals.