Charbel Vows Holding Accountable Corrupt Policemen

Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel vowed on Thursday to hold accountable all corrupt Internal Security Forces members, warning both corruption and sectarian divisions would lead to the collapse of the state.

“Corruption will be fought only through accountability,” Charbel told reporters during a ceremony to hand over the ISF acting chief's post to Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous.

“I told Caretaker PM (Najib Miqati) once to start with the interior ministry and beginning with me,” Charbel said. “I don't know what were the reasons behind the failure to take such an action.”

“There would be no state without accountability,” the caretaker Minister told reporters.

“All officers fall under the leadership of the ISF command … in which I have full trust,” he said, vowing the ultimate punishment against corrupt ISF members who fail to carry out their tasks.

But he urged citizens to help the ISF rather than launch verbal attacks on it “over personal problems with some of its officials.”

Charbel warned that the country would be destroyed if the ISF or the armed forces become divided along sectarian lines the same way the Lebanese are.

He reiterated that the police would be more active “when we get rid of the unjust political interference in our affairs.”

Basbous, who took over the post from acting ISF chief Brig. Gen. Roger Salem, said during the ceremony that police were “determined to carry out their mission with the support of the army.”

“The ISF will be at an equal distance from all citizens who should in their turn have faith” in it, he said.