The destroyed silos at the port of Beirut, June 27, 2024. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L’Orient-Le Jour)
After a positive atmosphere last week suggesting possible facilitation by the prosecution of the actions of examining magistrate Tarek Bitar in the investigation into the twin explosions at the Beirut port on Aug. 4, 2020, interim attorney general of the Court of Cassation Jamal Hajjar has not yet lifted the prohibition on prosecutorial cooperation with Judge Bitar.Despite some optimism, Bitar attempted on Monday to notify Hajjar of the procedural exceptions submitted by Mohammad Hassan Moukalled, the former head of the National Security Office at General Security, during his appearance on Feb. 18. However, the documents were returned to Judge Bitar without being received by Hajjar.A judge, speaking anonymously to L'Orient-Le Jour, stated that the examining magistrate has the authority to rule on procedural exceptions independently,...
After a positive atmosphere last week suggesting possible facilitation by the prosecution of the actions of examining magistrate Tarek Bitar in the investigation into the twin explosions at the Beirut port on Aug. 4, 2020, interim attorney general of the Court of Cassation Jamal Hajjar has not yet lifted the prohibition on prosecutorial cooperation with Judge Bitar.Despite some optimism, Bitar attempted on Monday to notify Hajjar of the procedural exceptions submitted by Mohammad Hassan Moukalled, the former head of the National Security Office at General Security, during his appearance on Feb. 18. However, the documents were returned to Judge Bitar without being received by Hajjar.A judge, speaking anonymously to L'Orient-Le Jour, stated that the examining magistrate has the authority to rule on procedural exceptions...
