Samaha Pleads Guilty but Says Fell into Milad Kfouri's 'Trap'
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Former Minister Michel Samaha pleaded guilty to all charges against him on Monday, admitting in court that he had transported explosives from Syria for use in attacks in Lebanon.
MTV channel said that Samaha confessed to all charges against him including plots to assassinate Lebanese officials.
But the former information minister said he had been the victim of entrapment because he was not aware that his co-conspirator was a Lebanese security services informer.
Samaha, who was also once an adviser to Syria's President Bashar Assad, made the surprise admission during the first session of his long-delayed trial before the Military Court.
"I received from the Syrians $170,000 inside a bag... and put it in the boot of my car with the explosives," he said.
He said he drove the money and explosives to Beirut in August 2012 and handed them over to a man named Milad Kfouri, who he was unaware was working with Lebanese intelligence.
"I fell into the trap laid by Milad Kfouri, who was tied to the intelligence services," Samaha said.
"True, I made a mistake, but I wanted to avoid sectarian strife."
Samaha's lawyer Rana Azoury confirmed that the former minister had acknowledged transporting the explosives under pressure from Kfouri.
"Samaha explained that he fell into a trap laid by the Lebanese intelligence services through an intermediary... Milad Kfouri," she said.
Azoury said Samaha explained he had been "harassed" for four months by Kfouri to transport the explosives to be used in blasts on the Lebanese border.
The explosions were intended to force the closure of the border and stop the passage of Lebanese fighters who wanted to join rebels fighting against the Syrian regime, he said.
"Under Lebanese law, if you acted because of the encouragement of an agent provocateur, that is exculpatory and a legitimate self-defense," Azoury said in explaining Samaha's testimony.
The trial was adjourned to May 13.
Samaha's driver will be summoned by the court to give his testimony.
Samaha has been under arrest since August 2012 over allegations that he and Syrian security services chief Ali Mamluk transported explosives and planned attacks and assassinations of political and religious figures in Lebanon.
His trial has been postponed multiple times because of the absence of Mamluk, who remains in Syria, but after a judge separated the cases against the two men, a first session in Samaha's trial began Monday.
Syria maintained a nearly 30-year presence in Lebanon, withdrawing its troops in 2005 after the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri.
But a series of assassinations of prominent anti-Syrian regime figures in Lebanon followed the withdrawal.
Samaha faces the death penalty if convicted in the trial.
The Lebanese judiciary has issued an arrest warrant for Mamluk and sent Syria a formal notification of the warrant and charges, but received no response.
H.K./Y.R.
20 April 2015, 14:14
1010
This is the mudus operandi of the M8 people. Kill, assassinate, blow up, etc. Glad he confessed. Now, let him sing about all the other traitors, starting with Hassan Banadoura.
20 April 2015, 16:20
28
Him pleading guilty means the ASSad regime that Hizbollat are defending is directly involved in Lebanese assassinations.
20 April 2015, 17:30
210
so much bad news for m8 and their syrian regime....
still more bad news to come ......
20 April 2015, 18:06
29
due to the fact the explosives carried by samaha from syria are of the same type of explosives that were used against may chidiac, george haoui, and others, it is now confirmed that the syrian regime was responsible for these explosions too.
20 April 2015, 19:12
29
idiot ft!
the bombs were ready and prepared each with a magnet and their electronic receiver.
so again, it is the same type of bombs that are stuck to metal and triggered with a remote control. :)
hope you understand now :)
20 April 2015, 20:57
310
This criminal was Assad's personal advisor and his spokesman to the Vatican and Europe. We all recall how he and his cell were distributing at that time in the north of Lebanon leaflets threatening Christians and burning of churches. His (Assad) plan was to assassinate the Batrak and the Mufti of Tripoli among others.
20 April 2015, 14:20
92
he must have been tortured and gave his admission under duress.
20 April 2015, 15:22
38
"during the ISraeli aggression on Lebanon, the people of Lebanon and the Lebanese resistance was betrayed and the next president will do the right job."
You're right about being betrayed,we were betrayed by whoever gave the orders to kidnap the israelies and ambush them. "if I knew they would do this I would have never done that" doesn't cut it. Solution to our problem: Dismantel your mini state and go back to being normal Lebanese citizens we don't need you to "defend" anything we have an army for that.
20 April 2015, 14:50
510
Samaha..... Please explain while Jamil al Sayyed was in the car with you as you transported the explosives to kill M14 officials???
Did Jamil's car break down?
Was he hitch-hiking?
Car-pooling to save money?
Just out for a joy-ride while listening to Tupac and Snoop?
Cruising for chicks?
20 April 2015, 14:52
78
For you Assad lovers, Roar, FT, Mowaten, Southern, Mystic. .
This is the project of the Assad clan to Lebanon. Is this what you want for our country? Do you still support the Assad criminal.
Please dont talk to me about ISIS. ISIS will be a bad memory in 2 years. Let us talk about long term issues. Assad's hegemony.
20 April 2015, 15:55
94
LF, If this person is guilty..then throw the book at him...
No excuses for anyone..
But what is most disturbing is the fact I noticed you who proclaims to be a Christian living in the ME...never post regarding the slaughter of innocent Christians..
There's an article right now on naharnet about this,,,yet you're nowhere to be seen....can you tell us why?
20 April 2015, 16:09
48
What is disturbing is that everytime there is something conclusive against hezbos/march8/assad u try to divert the subject....
Well magnificant roar come back home, we need u to protect us with the help of our great local iranian millicia, the fact that a shiite lebanese millicia is batteling under the flag of ya hussein in syria/iral/maybe yemen and god knows where is alreaddy great for christian and all lebanese, having u with us here would be even greatter...
Retard.
20 April 2015, 16:16
83
Was my point too forward for you M14ers?
Never expected a rational response, but thx for conforming it.
20 April 2015, 16:20
02
eroar maybe it's because people know that anytime pressure mounts on the Syrian or Iranian regimes IS does something criminally dramatic to affect the headlines. An old trick the Syrian regime used during the occupation every time the exiled Aoun had a TV interview south lebanon flared up. Most of next day's headlines in the Lebanese press were about the flare up in the south rather that what Aoun said.
20 April 2015, 17:33
16
Why stop at just those:
when will nassrallah be tried and executed for his crimes against the lebanese, syrian, iraqi, and yemeni people?
when will basil and aoun be tried and executed for their embezzlement, treachery, and theft of our resources?
20 April 2015, 18:37
13
Roar. Of course I am very sad about the slaughter of innocent ethiopian christians. As i cared about yazidis slaugter or about sunni slaughter. I dont comment about it because everyone agrees that ISIS is a criminal gang that needs to be eradicated. No point in debating such an obvious point, we are all on the same side on this point.
However, I am flabergasted that such patriots who otherwize love lebanon, like mowaten say, would not be appalled at the syrian regime SYSTEMATIC plan to screw lebanon. Assad has a project manager whose job description is solely "F... Lebanon" !!!
20 April 2015, 18:39
24
FT.
You dont get it. i dont care about disciplining the pawns and throwing blames. I care about finding the root cause of our problem. Samaha doesnt matter. He is a pawn. He can be replaced easily.
What matters is the side behind him, the assad clan, who will send 100 samahas, who is doing everything in its power to destabilize lebanon. How can Lebanon ever dream of becoming stable with a malevolent power so intent to destroy us??
20 April 2015, 18:58
71
LF, You have a hatred for Assad & many Lebanese would have no problem with your views, considering Syria's history in Lebanon etc.
But people like Mowaten prefer Assad at this moment than this horrific tentacles branching out from KSA..IS-Nusra-qaida-boko haram etc etc.
I tend to agree with Mowayen as do many many all around the world..
20 April 2015, 19:44
14
Well assad played the islamist card many time: chaker el abssi, islamist sent to irak (aka nouri el malaki in 2009), the liberation of lokman and nearely 500 islamists from its jail after the uprising in syria and now the plot with smaha to pull shit on lebanon.. Thos only to say the obvious related by moumana3a news channels.. So between a dictator using islamists, creating cahos, illuminated da3ech and the other da3ech woth a shiite flavor (aka faylak badder, abou fadel al abbas, ansorallah, hezbollah...) i chose none magnificent roar...
20 April 2015, 18:33
14
FT.
You dont get it. i dont care about disciplining the pawns and throwing blames. I care about finding the root cause of our problem. Samaha doesnt matter. He is a pawn. He can be replaced easily.
What matters is the side behind him, the assad clan, who will send 100 samahas, who is doing everything in its power to destabilize lebanon. How can Lebanon ever dream of becoming stable with a malevolent power so intent to destroy us??
20 April 2015, 14:54
67
He was due to assasinate Batrak Al Rahi during his visit to Akkar.
20 April 2015, 15:03
57
This MOFO should be hung by his testicles in Martyrs square for all freedom loving Lebanese and even the Syrian/Iranian bootlicking slaves to see.
20 April 2015, 15:24
411
Stop calling the local iranian millicia as the resistance; or at least use tge official term of islamic resistance my comrad souther..
And compared to hariri rifi sanioura of course hezbollah are secular, progressist democratic with gender equality; u know eerything we can dream of..
20 April 2015, 15:25
39
And your a Persian Farsi stooge why don't you go back to where you belong
20 April 2015, 15:26
65
Samaha was close to Assef Shawkat who was killed in July 2012.
In August 2012, Mamlouk sent Samaha to Lebanon with explosives and he is caught and arrested.
Samaha is guilty and should pay for his terrorist intentions, unless he has valuable information relating to past assassinations where Syrians and other groups were involved.
20 April 2015, 15:28
73
Apparently both Samaha and Shawkat were close to French intelligence.
20 April 2015, 15:34
64
And Shawkat's wife, Bashar's sister, left to Dubai for a while and there were reports that said that she accused her brothers of killing Shawkat.
20 April 2015, 18:21
22
Here you go for sources. Please do google Shawakat's murder.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/09/27/uk-syria-crisis-bushra-idUKBRE88Q1LM20120927
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/18/murder-mystery-of-assad-s-brother-in-law.html#
20 April 2015, 15:27
46
And u forgot again the : "labayka ya nosrollah"
U know the guys who are in no way linked to external powers, no link to senile fanatic khomaini what so ever, not armed by iran, very odern, democrat, secular...
Now man relax, and enjoy the show...
20 April 2015, 15:45
35
"الجديد": مجموعة من المطلوبين قامت بتهريب الموقوف ع. ط من احدى مستشفيات البقاع بقوة السلاح.
20 April 2015, 16:04
48
Sectarian are the militia that is exclusively one sect and swears allegiance to vilayet e faqih. Sectarian are the ones who send fighters to defend ASSad with phrases like ya Hussein and ya Zaynab both of whom are innocent from your hate and violence. Sectarian are the ones who want to turn Lebanon into a satellite state for the shiite republic of vilayet e faqih.
20 April 2015, 16:17
36
Lets free everyone and start over?
I don't get ur point... Can u elaborate?
20 April 2015, 16:19
34
And by the way they demand to be tried, some of them are there since 15 years waitting that we make a courtroom that can fit all of them (that's the official reason) so...
Anyway man please do elaborate...
20 April 2015, 16:41
20
Naharnet, i read you everyday but you are not respecting the journalist deontology code.
Samaha pleaded guilty for carrying the bombs only! He did not plead guilty for the planning of assassinations. He said he carried the bombs to destroy the illegal tunnels that was allowing Syrians to enter lebanon, and to transfer arms to Syria and Lebanon, vice versa.
This article is a joke and a lie.
20 April 2015, 17:34
02
hahahaha! you see how with your wit and knowledge of maps and navigation you belittle those drones? I don't know if you do it on purpose, but please keep doing what you are doing. Somesingly Anazar Flamesrower!!
20 April 2015, 20:36
20
With ALL the explosives in Lebanon and ALL the illegitimate border crossings they insisted on Smaha to transpoort the explosives....walla shu...
20 April 2015, 23:24
04
Samaha does not regret the crime, he only regrets getting caught.
21 April 2015, 13:27
03
$170,000 is that all it costs for a Lebanese MINISTER to do such a crime. Now that is cheap.
21 April 2015, 14:15
02
Samaha admits Jamil Sayyed was in the car with him....
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2015/Apr-21/295166-samaha-confesses-to-bombing-plot.ashx
21 April 2015, 14:27
02
Samaha, Hezbollah's and M8's martyr in the making. But being in economically difficult times, let them hit two birds with one stone, TWO martyred Michels makes sense.
