Saqr Orders Intelligence Bureau to Provide him with All Names Linked to Samaha Case

Military Tribunal Judge Saqr Saqr tasked on Wednesday the Intelligence Bureau with providing him with the identities of all the individuals whose names were mentioned in former minister Michel Samaha's case.

Samaha was interrogated on Tuesday as part of ongoing investigations over his transfer of explosives from Syria to Lebanon in order to carry out attacks in the country at Damascus' behest.

The former minister was arrested and charged in August with forming a criminal gang aimed at carrying out these attacks.

Media reports had recently linked former General Security chief Jamil al-Sayyed to the case, allegations he adamantly denied during a press conference on Tuesday.

LBCI television later reported on Wednesday that the Intelligence Bureau has in its possession a recording of Sayyed and Samaha as they were returning in the latter's car from Damascus to Beirut.

The Bureau is inspecting the recording before handing it to the military general prosecution in order to determine whether Sayyed was aware of the transfer of explosives, it added.

MTV had stated that Samaha had confessed during the investigations to meeting with Sayyed in Damascus prior to their return to Lebanon.

He had said that he had offered Sayyed a ride in his car, which he accepted.

The two officials shared a car ride from Damascus to Beirut, where the former security chief was dropped off in Ashrafiyeh to return to his own car before heading back to his residence.

Sayyed's press office later said in a statement: "The Intelligence Bureau's admission that it still had recordings in Samaha's case took place after Sayyed's warnings on Tuesday."