FPM Hits Back at Mustaqbal, Distances Itself from Akkar Blast Site

The Free Patriotic Movement on Sunday hit back at al-Mustaqbal Movement and said the owners of the blast-hit Akkar site and warehouse are close to Mustaqbal itself, adding that Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh is also responsible for the tragedy following his latest controversial decision to end fuel subsidies.

“Since morning, al-Mustaqbal Movement has been taking advantage of the blood and launching a campaign to accuse the FPM of the incident, but what does not need an investigation is that the land owner is known for his closeness to al-Mustaqbal Movement and his public voting for one of its MPs, Tarek al-Merehbi,” the FPM said in a statement.

“The owners of the underground tanks is also known and he has been detained for two months over smuggling and his relation with the two Mustaqbal MPs Walid al-Baarini and Mohammed Suleiman is well-known,” the FPM added.

“Instead of remaining silent and being ashamed, they are as usual trying to exploit the blood politically through pointing the finger at the President, the FPM and the leader and one of the MPs of the FPM, without any of them having any link whatsoever to the issue,” the Movement went on to say.

Reminding al-Mustaqbal leader ex-PM Saad Hariri of his visit to Beirut port prior to the devastating August 2020 explosion, the FPM said Riad Salameh should resign because “he is the one who caused the fuel crisis” and because is responsible for “all the tragedies and pain that have happened and will happen in connection with this file.”

“Fear God and stay away from sedition. Let us cry over our dead and close the wounds and learn that the policy of exploiting blood has only brought woes to you,” the FPM added.