Cabinet Session Suspended after 'Heated Debate' on Bitar

A Cabinet session was suspended Tuesday and adjourned to Wednesday, after it witnessed a heated debate over a demand by the ministers of Hizbullah, Amal Movement and Marada Movement for a stance on Beirut port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar, TV networks said.

LBCI television said the ministers of Hizbullah and Amal demanded replacing Bitar with another judge.

“During discussions in Cabinet, it turned out that, due to the separation of powers, Cabinet cannot recuse or change the investigative judge, and that all it can do is withdrawing the port blast case from the Judicial Council, something that the government does not intend to do,” LBCI added.

Al-Jadeed TV meanwhile said that the session was adjourned to 4pm Wednesday.

Prior to the session’s adjournment, the council approved the appointments of a president for the Lebanese University, two members for the Constitutional Council, a director general for the Justice Ministry and five members for the Council of Decorations.

It also took notice of the appointment of four new members of the Higher Judicial Council, following a suggestion from the Justice Minister and the approval of the President and the Prime Minister.

The adjournment of the Cabinet session came a few hours after Bitar's probe was suspended due to recusal motions filed by ex-ministers Ali Hassan Khalil and Ghazi Zoaiter, and after the judge issued an in-absentia arrest warrant for Khalil for failing to attend an interrogation.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had on Monday escalated his criticism of the Bitar, calling on authorities to replace him with a "truthful and transparent" investigator.

Bitar was appointed in February by a government body to lead the investigation. A court ruled to remove Bitar's predecessor after he faced similar accusations of bias from former officials.

Bitar has been the recipient of heavy criticism from Nasrallah, who has repeatedly accused him of politicizing the probe.

On Monday, Nasrallah spent nearly a quarter of his one-hour speech meant to address the country's multiple crises to criticize almost every decision Bitar has made. He accused him of politicizing the probe and targeting mainly officials who are allies of Hizbullah while failing to even question others.

"I am addressing the Higher Judicial Council. What is happening has nothing to do with justice or the law and you must resolve this," Nasrallah said. If the government-appointed council doesn't, the Cabinet must interfere, he said.

"We have a big problem. What is happening is a very big, big, big, big, big mistake that won't lead to justice or truth."

There was no immediate response from Bitar, who has not publicly responded to accusations against him and has kept the investigation secret so far.

On Aug. 4, 2020, hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material used in fertilizers, exploded, killing at least 214 people, injuring over 6,000 and devastating part of the city.

The material had been improperly stored in the port for years. Independent media and rights groups revealed that most of Lebanon's senior political and security leadership knew of the explosives stored at the port, but did nothing to take precautions or warn the public.

Addressing the families of the victims killed in the blast, Nasrallah said: "If you are expecting to reach justice and truth with this judge, I say you won't."

The relatives and rights groups have been protesting against what they consider to be political interference and efforts to stall the probe.

Some politicians have challenged Bitar in court, accusing him of violating the constitution or of showing bias. There were also reports of a threat leveled against the judge by a senior Hizbullah official and the government has vowed to increase his security.

Most of the lawsuits have so far been shelved but they have caused the probe to stop for at least a week. Nasrallah criticized the courts that have refused to take on cases against Bitar.

Some Lebanese have pointed the finger at Hizbullah, saying it may have stored explosives at the port, a charge the group denies. No evidence has emerged that links Hizbullah directly to the blast and none of its members are defendants in the case.

Bitar's removal, if it happens, will be a major blow to the investigation.