"The people, the army, and justice" can be read in front of the silos at the port of Beirut, devastated by the double explosion on August 4, 2020. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L'OLJ.)
Investigative Judge Tarek Bitar, tasked with the investigation of the explosion at the Port of Beirut on August 4, 2020, has scheduled a hearing for former Public Works Minister and MP Ghazi Zeaiter, for Friday, June 13, a judicial source told L’Orient Today.
Zeaiter was already subject to an arrest warrant and had so far refused to appear before the magistrate. The former minister even went as far as filing several appeals against the investigative judge, thus hindering the progress of the investigation.
On August 4, 2020, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history devastated a significant portion of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 220 people and injuring over 6,500. This explosion was caused by a fire in a warehouse at the port where tons of ammonium nitrate were stored without precaution, despite repeated warnings to the highest authorities, accused of negligence.
An investigation was opened in Lebanon, but Bitar had to suspend his investigations in January 2023, facing hostility from much of the political class, notably Hezbollah, as well as a series of legal actions directed against him. He resumed his investigations in early 2025 and has already questioned several former officials, including ex-Prime Minister Hassan Diab and former Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk.
Last week, he heard the attorney general at the Court of Cassation, Ghassan Khoury. Among the other officials to be questioned is notably the former attorney general of the Republic, Ghassan Oueidate.
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