Charbel Says Roumieh Prison Under State's Control, Two Security Guards Involved in Prison Break
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel rejected on Wednesday accusations that authorities are not capable of controlling Roumieh prison, revealing that there are only two security guards involved in the prison break carried out by three members of Fatah al-Islam.
Charbel said in comments published in al-Liwaa that some Internal Security Forces members tasked with guarding the facility are “incompetent” as most of them were appointed through their connections not based on their efficiency.
On Tuesday, the military court wrapped up investigations in the Roumieh scandal with the number of detained security guards reaching 13 after authorities discovered last week that three Fatah al-Islam prisoners had fled the jail at least a month ago.
Media reports said Monday that eleven security personnel and two officers were referred to the Military Court over the prison break on charges of "negligence and direct responsibility."
Security forces on Sunday raided Bloc B in Roumieh prison, where Fatah al-Islam inmates are jailed, seizing prohibited items, including cellphones and sharp objects, media reports said.
The minister pointed out that resolving the lingering crisis at Roumieh prison should be “political” in the first degree.
“Instead of disciplining some security members over their negligence, we should punish politicians who are not exerting any effort to resolve the crisis,” Charbel said.
He noted that the real crisis at Roumieh prison isn't linked to the conditions of the Islamist inmates, but the poor conditions that prisons across Lebanon are suffering from.
“We should swiftly construct new prisons, hasten the trials of the prisoners and appoint competent security guards to deal with the inmates,” Charbel said.
Roumieh, the oldest and largest of Lebanon's overcrowded prisons, has witnessed sporadic prison breaks in recent years and escalating riots over the past months as inmates living in poor conditions demand better treatment.
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