Daily Star - Rizk appoints Saqr to head Hariri probe, September 14, 2007
BEIRUT: Justice Minister Charles Rizk appointed Judge Saqr Saqr on Thursday as investigating magistrate into the February 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Rizk's decision came after the Higher Judicial Council, during a meeting on Wednesday, approved Rizk's nomination of Saqr, which was submitted earlier this week. Article 360 of the Penal Code stipulates that it is up to the justice minister to appoint a new investigating magistrate, provided that the Higher Judicial Council approves the minister's decision. Saqr is currently serving as investigating magistrate in the 2004 attempt to assassinate Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh. The judiciary relieved Judge Elias Eid of his responsibilities as investigating magistrate in the Hariri case last week after Beirut's Cassation Court issued a decision to have Eid replaced. The court explained that it took the decision to replacing Eid after it found arguments advanced by plaintiffs "plausible." Mohammad Mattar, a lawyer who represents the heirs of four Hariri bodyguards who died in the February 14, 2005, bombing, had filed a request last month for Eid to be replaced. Matar also cited what he described as Eid's "overly friendly relations" with the lawyers and families of the four former officers charged with involvement in the assassination: Jamil Sayyed of General Security, Raymond Azar of Army Intelligence, Ali al-Hajj of the Internal Security Forces and Mustafa Hamdan of the Presidential Guard.
BEIRUT: Justice Minister Charles Rizk appointed Judge Saqr Saqr on Thursday as investigating magistrate into the February 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Rizk's decision came after the Higher Judicial Council, during a meeting on Wednesday, approved Rizk's nomination of Saqr, which was submitted earlier this week. Article 360 of the Penal Code stipulates that it is up to the justice minister to appoint a new investigating magistrate, provided that the Higher Judicial Council approves the minister's decision. Saqr is currently serving as investigating magistrate in the 2004 attempt to assassinate Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh. The judiciary relieved Judge Elias Eid of his responsibilities as investigating magistrate in the Hariri case last week after Beirut's Cassation Court issued a decision to have Eid replaced. The court explained that it took the decision to replacing Eid after it found arguments advanced by plaintiffs "plausible." Mohammad Mattar, a lawyer who represents the heirs of four Hariri bodyguards who died in the February 14, 2005, bombing, had filed a request last month for Eid to be replaced. Matar also cited what he described as Eid's "overly friendly relations" with the lawyers and families of the four former officers charged with involvement in the assassination: Jamil Sayyed of General Security, Raymond Azar of Army Intelligence, Ali al-Hajj of the Internal Security Forces and Mustafa Hamdan of the Presidential Guard.
No comments:
Post a Comment