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BEIRUT PORT BLAST INVESTIGATION

Demonstrators gather at Finance Minister Yousef Khalil's residence to call out his obstruction of port blast probe

Demonstrators gather at Finance Minister Yousef Khalil's residence to call out his obstruction of port blast probe

Finance Minister Yousef Khalil. (Photo: DR)

BEIRUT — Dozens of protesters gathered in front of Finance Minister Youssef Khalil’s residence in Raouche Saturday to protest his “interference” in the Aug. 4, 2020 Beirut port blast investigation, videos circulating on social media showed.

Here’s what we know:

•  “We’re here to denounce authorities’ games, the latest of which is the finance minister’s stalling in [appointing Court of Cassation magistrates],” one protester could be seen saying in the stairwell of Khalil’s building, noting that he’s had the paperwork on his desk “for over two weeks.”

•  On Thursday, Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar reported that appointments to the Court of Cassation, approved by Justice Minister Henry Khoury had not reached President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Najib Mikati after being “frozen” on Khalil’s desk.

•  Another video shows a protester on the phone with Khalil’s wife, who claimed that her husband was not at home. The demonstrator asked that she relay a message to the minister telling him to sign the appointments “with the same speed that he signed the decision to demolish the silos,” referencing Cabinet’s contentious decision to demolish the grain silos damaged by the port blast.

•  The investigation into the port blast has been suspended since the plenary assembly of the Court of Cassation after one of its members retired over two months ago, leaving the court without quorum to rule on complaints filed against the probe’s lead investigator, judge Tarek Bitar. On March 23, the Higher Judicial Council approved appointments of judges, restoring quorum, however the final approval has yet to be given.

•  Later Saturday, Khalil issued a statement claiming that his completing the paperwork needed to finalize these judicial appointments was delayed by “essential errors” in the appointment decree, which, he said, “would create precedents the country does not need.” The minister further claimed that work on removing the obstacles to signing the appointments decree was in progress.

BEIRUT — Dozens of protesters gathered in front of Finance Minister Youssef Khalil’s residence in Raouche Saturday to protest his “interference” in the Aug. 4, 2020 Beirut port blast investigation, videos circulating on social media showed.Here’s what we know:•  “We’re here to denounce authorities’ games, the latest of which is the finance minister’s stalling in...