Judge al-Qadi Appointed in ex-Minister Samaha's Case

Judge Walid al-Qadi succeeded on Wednesday head of the criminal court of cassation Judge Joseph Samaha to study the file of ex-Minister Michel Samaha's case.

Head of the Higher Judicial Council Judge Jean Fahd appointed al-Qadi after Judge Samaha stepped down on Monday over kinship.

Judge Samaha sought to withdraw not to be "embarrassed" as the ex-Minister is a relative and hails from the same town.

Last week, State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr referred a death penalty request against ex-Minister Samaha and Syrian security official Ali Mamlouk to the military court to kick off trials.

First Military Examining Judge Riyad Abu Ghida recently indicted Samaha and Mamlouk on terrorism charges.

A search warrant to identify a Syrian colonel known only by his first name Adnan who plotted for the bombings with the other suspects was also issued.

Abu Ghida said Samaha and Mamlouk should be given the death sentence "for transporting explosives from Syria to Lebanon in an attempt to assassinate Lebanese political and religious leaders.”

The indictment also said that Samaha told the Syrian colonel and general that he would recruit people to carry out attacks in the northern Akkar region targeting Syrian rebels and weapons smugglers to Syria.

Samaha was detained in August, but Mamlouk remains free.