Report: Officer at Roumieh Prison Arrested over Illegal Actions

An officer at Roumieh Prison, the oldest and largest of Lebanon's overcrowded prisons, was detained after allegedly smuggling prohibited items to inmates and being involved in illegal actions, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Thursday.

According to the report, the officer is the warden of a bloc at the facility and accused of smuggling prohibited items, narcotics, in addition to involvement in discrimination against prisoners.

The newspaper said that prison's police chief General Amer Zailaa discovered the endeavors carried out by the officer and urged the competent authority to arrest and interrogate him.

Prison guards seized recently a large quantity of drugs from a woman visiting an inmate, who enjoys “privileges,” but the officer has reportedly diverted investigations and accused another prisoner of being involved in the case in cooperation with some policemen.

The report said that the aim was to transfer the accused “innocent” inmate from his cell, which he equipped with commodities, in an attempt to take over it.

The newspaper reported that prisoners and several guards are involved in “cell trade,” whereby the price of a prison cell can reach $10,000.

“Some policemen are paid a lump sum of money during every trade carried out,” an inmate told al-Akhbar on condition of anonymity.

He pointed out that “inmates who enjoy privileges and are close to the officer in charge, can do whatever they want and smuggle prohibited items into the facility.”

Meanwhile, the Military Court denied on Wednesday evening arresting any officer, explaining that “all those interrogated have been released on condition that they stay in the country,” he said.

Security forces launched in November a wide inspection campaign in Roumieh prison to confiscate prohibited items including cellphones, sharp objects and drugs.