Higher Judicial Council Agrees to Summon Judge Aoun on Tuesday

The Higher Judicial Council on Monday held an emergency meeting to discuss the latest judicial developments in the country pertaining to the actions of controversial Mount Lebanon Attorney General Judge Ghada Aoun.

In a statement, the conferees said they re-confirmed the decision to summon Aoun for interrogation at 10:00 am Tuesday.

The Council also decided to keep its sessions open.

State Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat had recently removed Aoun from an investigation into possible currency export violations. But Aoun defied Oueidat’s decision and carried out two raids on the Mecattaf money exchange houses in Awkar over the weekend, accompanied by security forces.

The judge was also accompanied by supporters and activists of the Free Patriotic Movement and others from the October 17 uprising.

According to the company, they tried to enter the offices by force.

In response, caretaker Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najm held an emergency meeting on Saturday in the presence of Oueidat, head of the High Judicial Council Judge Suhail Abboud and Judicial Inspection Authority head Judge Borkan Saad.

Najem voiced anger at the incident, saying what happened indicates the “failure of the state’s institutions.”

Judge Aoun had been previously accused of overstepping her position’s limits. There are several complaints against her before the Judicial Inspection Authority.