Naharnet - Mehlis says Tueni's Murder was Threat Against him Insists No One is Above the Law

Naharnet - Mehlis affirme que l'assassinat de Tueni etait une menace contre lui et insiste : personne n'est au dessus de la loi, 19 march 2008

Former Chief U.N. investigator Detlev Mehlis has said the assassination of MP and An Nahar General Manager Gebran Tueni was part of threats made against the German prosecutor and the commission he headed.Mehlis told LBCI's Bi Kul Jur'a talk show in Berlin Tuesday that "dangerous threats" were made against him during his mission in Beirut and Tueni's killing in a car bombing on Dec. 12, 2005 was part of such threats because it came a day before the former investigator handed over his last report to the U.N. Security Council."The late MP Gebran Tueni was assassinated a day before I released the December 2005 report," Mehlis said in his first TV interview since he stepped down as head of the U.N. commission investigating ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's Feb. 14, 2005 assassination and related crimes.Criminals are feeling "safe" in their attacks and erecting security "cameras in every street corner" could help catch the murderers, the German prosecutor told anchorwoman May Chidiac about the series of assassinations since Hariri's killing in a massive explosion in Beirut.When asked that some parties in Lebanon refused erecting security cameras, Mehlis said: "Better being spied on than getting killed."He stressed that the U.N. Security Council would not provide any cover for those involved in Hariri's murder and stressed he was convinced that the truth will come out with all its details."No one is above the law even Rome's pope," Mehlis said during the talk show when asked if Syria would allow some of its officials to be accused of involvement in the five-time prime minister's murder.The Special Tribunal for Lebanon will not protect heads of state and could accuse or punish every person found to have been involved in Hariri's murder, Mehlis stressed.He said the U.N. could impose sanctions on a state or even take "military procedures" if that country refuses to hand over suspects or witnesses.Mehlis insisted that the detainment of the four former security chiefs is legal."As an observer, I think their detainment is fully legal," he said.Surete Generale's Jamil al-Sayyed, Ali al-Hajj of the Internal Security Forces, Raymond Azar of the Army Intelligence and Mustafa Hamdan of the Presidential Guards Brigade have been detained since August 2005 for alleged involvement in Hariri's killing."We had indications that they were planning to leave the country and most importantly we had indications of their strong involvement in the murder," Mehlis told Chidiac, adding that he had never seen "an official U.N. recommendation to release the suspects."About the ongoing investigation into the series of killings in Lebanon, Mehlis said: "The U.N. established the probe committee to bring some hope to the Lebanese, therefore credibility and transparency should characterize the committee's work."The German prosecutor added that it was the right of Lebanese citizens to "be informed about the latest developments concerning investigations."