The Press Office of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers has issued the following statement:

Some media outlets reported that Caretaker Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, refused to give permission to prosecute the Director General of State Security, Major General Tony Saliba, over the Beirut port blast case.

The circulated information is totally false, as the General Directorate of the Presidency of the Republic had sought the opinion of the Legislation and Consultation Authority at the Ministry of Justice, which stated that the Higher Defense Council was the authority entrusted with powers to grant permission, and the judicial investigator was duly informed of the issue