A worker sitting amid the debris at the Port of Beirut, on June 27, 2024. Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — Judge Tarek Bitar questioned two judges on Thursday as part of his investigation into the deadly double explosion at the Beirut Port on Aug. 4, 2020. Judges Jad Maalouf and Carla Chouah were questioned for four hours and 30 minutes respectively on the basis of their knowledge in 2020 that ammonium nitrate was being stored at the Port.
Maalouf was the interim judge in 2014 when the Georgian-flagged ship MV Rhosus was abandoned in Beirut, deemed not seaworthy, and its ammonium nitrate cargo unloaded at the Port, eventually detonating in 2020. Chouah, who succeeded Jad Maalouf in 2018, was also questioned for half an hour. Her involvement is said to be very limited, as she only assumed this role after the explosives entered Lebanon.
Maalouf maintains he had not been informed of the explosive nature of the product when it was unloaded at the Port nor had he chosen where it was stored. In October 2021, judicial sources interviewed by L'Orient-Le Jour stated that Maalouf authorized the dry docking of the Rhosus ship and the discharging of its cargo at the request of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
In this court decision, dated June 27, 2014, the judge specified that "the authorization was granted based on the explanations provided by the Ministry of Transport." The document describes ammonium nitrate as "a product dangerous for the environment," with no reference to its explosive nature. The interviewed judicial sources affirmed that, at that time, few were aware of the deadly danger of this substance.
The interim judge took care to specify in his judgment that the nitrate should be stored in "an appropriate location, under the custody of the Ministry of Transport." His decision did not mention the port facility where tons of nitrate were later stored.
Maalouf's hearing lasted nearly four hours. According to our information, he answered all questions in detail, referring to legal points related to his competence and prerogatives. Bitar's questioning of these judges does not imply that his indictment will target them, as he has summoned all parties aware of the presence of ammonium nitrate.
Five years after the tragic event, the investigation into the double Beirut Port explosions continues to be marred by political interference. However, Bitar took a decisive step in mid-January to continue his investigations by pursuing charges against twelve security officials and Port staff, summoned for hearings that began on Feb. 7. He questioned politicians for the first time in April: former minister Nouhad Machnouk and ex-Prime Minister Hassane Diab.