Safadi Confirms Suing General Security, Rejects to be 'Implicated in Tripoli Unrest'
Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi confirmed Thursday that he has filed a lawsuit against the General Directorate of General Security, rejecting any attempt to “implicate” him without his consent in the latest unrest in Tripoli.
The northern city has been witnessing intermittent deadly clashes since five days that were sparked by the arrest on Saturday of Islamist activist Shadi al-Mawlawi by General Security agents at the entrance of an office belonging to Safadi.
General Security agents lured Mawlawi to the office at Safadi’s welfare association in Tripoli under the pretext of offering him healthcare.
Mawlawi was later detained on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization. His supporters say he was arrested because of his support for Syrians fleeing the crackdown in their country.
In a statement issued by his press office, Safadi denied media reports that he “has changed his mind as to filing a lawsuit against the General Security over the issue of the arrest of young man Shadi al-Mawlawi.”
General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim on Tuesday confirmed media reports that Mawlawi’s arrest was coordinated with a Western security agency, noting that al-Qaida exists in Lebanon and hinting that Mawlawi is a Qaida member.
“A media report has revealed today that we coordinated with an embassy or a Western security agency. That is true … They accused us of receiving orders from Syria and Hizbullah, but we’re not in anyone’s service. We are in the service of the law in Lebanon,” Ibrahim said.
“This case was coordinated with a major world power, and I believe a major world power will not tackle a security issue in a sectarian manner … and those who know the director general of General Security and his past and career know that I have nothing to do with sectarianism,” he added.
Safadi’s office said the minister’s lawyer Bassam al-Dayeh had filed the lawsuit to the North’s prosecutor and that it was referred to the Military Prosecution in Beirut.
The statement wondered about “the purpose behind this persistent campaign, as if someone is seeking to implicate minister Safadi without his consent in the unrest in his city.”
Source: Naharnet
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