Qortbawi Says General Prosecution Decided to Expand Investigation in Kweikhat Case
Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi denied on Thursday that he and Prime Minister Najib Miqati were behind the decision to re-detain the three officers and 5 soldiers, who were held in connection with the killing of Sunni Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Wahed and his companion Mohammed Merheb.
“We didn’t formulate a plan that allows the re-arrest of officers nor we proposed that before the cabinet during its previous session on Monday,” Qortbawi told al-Joumhouria newspaper.
He noted that the public prosecution decided to expand the investigations.
“All I did was brief the cabinet on the decision taken by the public prosecution,” Qortbawi told the daily.
He denied that he agreed with Miqati and Public Prosecutor Saeed Mirza on this decision.
“These reports are fabricated and not true,” the Justice Minister said.
On May 20, Abdul Wahed and his companion were killed at an Army checkpoint in in the Akkar town of al-Kweikhat.
The release of the officers and soldiers on bail last week angered the residents of the district of Akkar, which prompted their arrest once again on Saturday.
Angry protesters flocked the streets condemning the decision taken by the general prosecution as the Free Patriotic Movement led by MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday staged a demonstration that headed from Beirut’s Mathaf district towards the nearby Military Court building to demand the release of the officers and soldiers.
On Monday the relatives of the officers detained in the case of Sheikh Abdul Wahed and a number of army supporters blocked the Sarba-Jounieh road to demand the release of the generals.
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