Harb to File Lawsuit against Madi: I Will Make His Case an Example to Introduce Reform in Lebanon
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
MP Butros Harb condemned on Tuesday General Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi's request to strip him of his parliamentary immunity, accusing him of collaborating with Hizbullah to cover up the accused in the assassination attempt against him.
He said during a press conference: “I will file a lawsuit against Madi and I will make his case an example to introduce reform in Lebanon”
“I will request that parliament strip me of my immunity in order to allow me to confront Madi,” he added.
“I call on Madi to confront me personally and not hide behind the judiciary,” he continued.
“My position is directed strictly against the general prosecutor and his actions, contrary to what he is trying to imply through hiding behind President Michel Suleiman,” Harb declared.
“Madi's history bares witness to his actions, while my own demonstrates that I have never remained silent over any wrongdoings,” the MP stressed.
Madi demanded on Monday to strip Harb of his parliamentary immunity over remarks he made on the judiciary and President Michel Suleiman after Mahmoud Hayek, a Hizbullah member, was charged with the attempt on his life.
“I thank Suleiman for his intervention to tackle this case and press for an arrest warrant to be issued against Hayek. The president protects the law and he is not biased against any side,” the lawmaker said.
Harb then recounted the steps that led to an arrest warrant being issued against Hayek, saying that his insistence to apprehend the suspect was met by indifference by the general prosecution.
He then accused Madi of seeking to strike a deal with Hizbullah in order to protect Hayek and cover up the case, saying he is biased towards the March 8 camp.
Addressing the general prosecutor, he stated: “You insulted the authority that you should represent.”
“Madi is a private prosecutor, not a general one,” said Harb, while revealing that he will request that the judicial inspection bureau and Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi tackle the case.
“The whole of Lebanon would be in danger if its judiciary is jeopardized,” he remarked.
“Had those in possession of illegal arms handed over their weapons, the state would have been stronger, we would not have reached this current state of affairs, and my assassination attempt would not have taken place,” he noted.
“The possession of illegitimate arms is the main cause of Lebanon's problems,” he stressed.
“Madi's case is the product of the current state of affairs in Lebanon. We should not allow him, and the likes of him, to tarnish the judiciary's image,” Harb declared.
Madi later criticized the MP's statements, saying: “Should I choose to respond to him, I will do so through legal and civilized means.”
"His claims are not based on evidence," he was quoted as saying by Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3).
The March 14 opposition lawmaker escaped the assassination bid after residents of a building in which his office is located in the Beirut district of Badaro discovered individuals trying to booby-trap the elevator.
05 February 2013, 14:32
615
Mr. Harb go for it...we all know that Hizbala controls key judges and the Army intelligence....no state within a state..enough is enough...
05 February 2013, 16:01
39
the real corrupt are this judge and the minister of (in)justice.
it has been demonstrated several times so far.
amazing how m8 guys are defending him!
05 February 2013, 16:06
94
Al-kafi, the use of words like "HEzbchildkillers" and "Hezbalchaitan" discredits you and takes away from your argument. You should focus on making your point - which is in this case very valid.
06 February 2013, 01:09
00
I think your confusing between MP boutros Harb (elected by the people for the Batroun district) and Gebran Bassil ( the one who lost against him)
05 February 2013, 15:10
10
what do you expect from mercenaries government who only know how to kill their opponents its prime example of Syria's regime if you care to look at whats been happening in both country's THANK YOU MR WALIDJOUMBLAT
05 February 2013, 18:04
17
Flamer- when someone is more interested in attacking the victim rather than prosecuting the pepetrator then there is no doubt he corrupt. Stop talking to people like they are childern. It insults everyone's intelligence.
oh by the way HULK SMASH!
06 February 2013, 10:24
10
so FT you think that the law that prohibits people from "offending" the president is valid and should be defended right? some freedom you advocate.
let me ask you, when the singer that made the general suleiman song was detained, did you join in the popular demand to free him and apply freedom of expression in lebanon or did you hope he got a death sentence?
basically a harb is criticizing, giving his opinion, insulting, whatever you want to call it. it all falls under freedom of speech (in a civilized country anyway)
furthermore, harb is a politician, expected to voice political opinions, and the immunity that him and every other member of parliament have is to allow them to do so freely.
now madi thinks it shouldnt apply to harb, why? also why only harb? is he the only one who has ever criticized the president and the judicial system? your bosses were doing it long before it was cool
05 February 2013, 16:09
24
FT - the taef is not bad. The problem is that it was never fully implemented. I agree however that it took too much away from presidential perogative.
05 February 2013, 16:35
16
A hero is rising! eat your hearts out all these fake saviors that claim they are going to end corruption and are more corrupt than the people they replaced. That is a man with balls and principle taking it to the killers and the corrupt. I hope he can see it through without getting assasinated. YOU HAVE OUR SUPPORT MR. HARB!
05 February 2013, 16:48
00
allouchti wants Harb to go for it. As to what "it" is, we have to ask the warrior allouchti. "It" could be Harb's skill at bending over backwards like a slave to his master and commander Jeff the Jeffrey Feltman or before his his Syrian pimps. No state within a state, huh! Long live the days of the Syrian occupation. They were good old days for your "going for it-ters" my allouchti. Let us know when you wake up twenty-two damn years late again, warrior. bel ro7, bel dam, efdi la cheikh Imbecile.
05 February 2013, 17:58
17
changing the subject? I already posted what I had to say on Aoun in that article before I read this and you are wrong as usual! The fact of the matter is, MR. Butrous Harb is doing what your tiny general with no integrety or principle has been claiming he is going to do for years. I am still waiting on him to open that folder of files he keeps claiming he has.
HULK SMASH!!
05 February 2013, 18:19
15
hahahah- the joke of the century! a book? I can't wait! If anything is remotely true, I will read it and weap on youtube for you to see in person. Aoun has NO PRINCIPLE! I will bet my right arm he has NOTHING credible. NOTHING!
05 February 2013, 21:48
13
that strategy is called 'ad hominem'. It is a logical fallacy. When they cannot face the argument, they attack the man. But that does not make the argument less right.
05 February 2013, 22:08
00
With Potato Nadim next to Harb, you can rest assured that Harb has enough support by the one of the very... well... umm... duh... ill-informed and clueless Kidergarten-class of MPs, less cheikh Saad al-Haribi Telteyn al-Marajel and Miss-ing in Inaction Tueini Maktabi.
06 February 2013, 01:24
00
Madi thinks he's in Syria or Iran opening cases against people for criticizing authority figures.
06 February 2013, 04:13
11
F.Y., I think the presidency was emasulated before Taef. It happened when Aoun declared war on L.F. weakening both the army and the L.F. enabling Syria to take over. The Taef accord served to salvage what was left then which was not much. I am all for giving the President more powers, but the Taef is the best can be done now.
