Court of Cassation Advocate-General Ghassan Khoury did not provide his conclusive decision to give permission to prosecute the Director General of General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, in the case of the Beirut Port explosion.

Judge Khoury has kept the matter pending until additional procedures he requested from the Judicial investigator, Judge Tarek Bitar are implemented.

Sawt Beirut International (SBI) have knew that Judge Khoury has answered Judge Bitar this morning. He urged Bitar to “take the necessary measures to identify suspicions and evidence against Major General Abbas Ibrahim.”

Judge Khoury asked Bitar to listen to Major General Ibrahim’s testimony in details, confront him with witnesses and to obtain from him in details the functions of the General Security Service, as well as his role in the case of the presence of “ammonium nitrate” in the port. He asked him also to submit papers and the content of certifications to assess evidence and facts suspicions to file a lawsuit against him.”

A judicial source explained to SBI that the attorney general’s decision was justified, as Khoury considered, that “the Public Prosecution has the authority to prosecute in the port file”. However, Judge Bitar requested permission from the Discriminatory Public Prosecution after the Minister of Interior refused to give him permission.”

The source said that Judge Bitar “submitted this request to the Discriminatory Public Prosecution on the basis of Article 61 of the Personnel Law, which states that “in the event of a dispute between the Appeal Public Prosecution, the Financial Public Prosecution or the Military Public Prosecution, and the administrative reference, the matter should be raised up to the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, which in this case makes the latter an arbitrator between the two parties.”

The source confirmed that “Court of Cassation Advocate-General represents the Public Prosecution Authority, who has accused dozens of people in the file.” I this case the judicial investigator Bitar cannot ask the Court of Cassation to give permission, and it is a real opponent in the case.”

It is worth noting that “Major General Abbas Ibrahim did not provide his testimony previously before the judicial police, so how can he be prosecuted before being heard. His role in the port known, as well as the role of General Security while unloading nitrated into Barn No. 12?