Sayyed: Samaha Testified that I am Not Involved in his Case
Former General Security chief Jamil al-Sayyed slammed on Tuesday the investigations with former minister Michel Samaha, saying that he should not be interrogated by his “enemies”.
He said during a press conference: “Samaha asserted that I was not involved in any detail linked to the case.”
This also entails the alleged transportation of explosives from Syria to Lebanon.
Samaha was arrested in August on charges of forming a criminal gang aimed at carrying out attacks in Lebanon at Syria's behest.
Media reports had stated that Sayyed had accompanied the former minister as he was transporting in his car explosives from Syria to Lebanon to carry out the attacks.
He noted the “unprecedented” development of the “smuggling” of the informer in the case outside of Lebanon.
He made his remark in reference to Milad Kfouri, an Intelligence Bureau informer who helped in Samaha's arrest.
Media reports had said on Tuesday that Samaha had refused to answer any questions during his interrogation before Kfouri is summoned for questioning.
Sayyed continued on the media leaks: “The same methods employed in the aftermath of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassination are being employed today.”
He accused Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi, Intelligence Bureau head Wissam al-Hassan, former General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza, and Military Tribunal Judge Saqr Saqr of being behind the development,
He also accused the government of standing idly by as these violations are being committed.
“If you want the judiciary to perform its duties, you should not mix the media and politics in the matter as what happened in Hariri's case,” he noted.
The General Prosecutor should be conducting the investigations with Samaha, he stated.
“Let him remain ten years with the Intelligence Bureau, but not with Rifi or Hassan,” he said.
“I am opposed to the manner in which the investigations are being conducted and not their contents,” explained Sayyed.
The former General Security chief blamed President Michel Suleiman for his handling of the case, saying: “He should not congratulate those whom he cannot hold accountable.”
He must discuss with the general prosecutor the possibility of returning Kfouri from abroad.
“The evidence of the explosives are useless without the witness who can account for them,” he explained.
“Investigations must be held with Rifi and Hassan over the media leaks” because they allowed them, demanded Sayyed.
“Allowing media leaks is a crime,” he declared.
“The leaks are a crime and the violators can be imprisoned,” he said.
“I'm not saying that Samaha must be released, but he should be placed under house arrest until Kfouri's return,” he said.
Asked about the 2013 parliamentary elections, he announced: “Should they be held, I will run as an independent candidate on a Hizbullah-AMAL list in the northern Bekaa.”
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/53180 |