Change and Reform: Judicial Course, Army Prestige Must be Respected in Abdul Wahed Case

The Change and Reform parliamentary bloc led by Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday stressed that “the judicial course must be respected in Sheikh (Ahmed) Abdul Wahed's case as well as the army's prestige.”

Change and Reform secretary MP Ibrahim Kanaan also told reporters after the bloc’s weekly meeting that “the timing of the state budget is important as we need to know what the government intends to spend, not only what it spent in the past.”

“We have numerous demands that need everyone's cooperation, not only in cabinet but also in parliament,” Kanaan added.

Commenting on cabinet’s approval on Monday to construct a tunnel in the Northern Metn area of Jal el-Dib, Kanaan said: “We welcome the cabinet's decision on the Jal el-Dib bridge, but this issue must be accomplished quickly and we call on the consultative side, the Council for Development and Reconstruction, to set a clear timeframe for accomplishing what Metn residents want.”

Kanaan also stressed that “the bloc's ministers and MPs will follow up on all issues.”

Abdul Wahed and his companion, Sheikh Mohammed Merheb, were shot dead at an army checkpoint in the Akkar town of al-Kweikhat on May 20.

In the wake of the incident, state commissioner to the military court Judge Saqr Saqr ordered the arrest of three army officers and 19 soldiers who were manning the checkpoint. But on Friday protests broke out over a decision by Saqr to release the three officers and eight soldiers.

The news of the killing had pushed several angry residents to block roads in Akkar and across the country.

The anti-Syria cleric’s death also caused armed clashes between supporters of al-Mustaqbal movement and Arab Movement party in Beirut’s Tariq al-Jedideh.

MP Daher, who hails from Akkar, on Sunday called on the government to “perform its duties” concerning the case of Sheikh Abdul Wahed and his companion or else face “civil disobedience.”

Under the settlement reached in cabinet on Monday, the conferees approved a decision by Saqr to expand the investigations into the incident under the supervision of State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza who will have to brief the government on the proceedings.

President Michel Suleiman said that officers linked to the case were released after the duration of their detention on remand expired, adding that they can be called again for interrogation.

In a press conference held after a meeting in Tripoli for the follow-up committee on Sheikh Abdul Wahed’s case, Mustaqbal bloc MP Hadi Hbeish said: “We received word of Saqr's decision to expand the investigation in Abdul Wahed's death and this will soothe his family.”

“The political contacts have started to rectify the situation in this case,” Hbeish added.

Meanwhile, LBCI reported that the residents of al-Bireh, Abdul Wahed’s hometown, deemed Saqr's decision as the beginning of the process to resolve the dispute.