Beirut: Prime Minister Tammam Salam of Lebanon requested his Minister of Justice, Ashraf Rifi, to postpone a planned referral of former Information Minister Michel Samaha to the Judicial Council until next Thursday.
He made the request because Samaha, a convicted criminal, presented a “delicate” case, as the highest-ranking political leader hoped his retrial would proceed in earnest.
It was unclear whether the request for a week-long delay was made to give the Military Court of Cassation an opportunity to finally issue its ultimate verdict precisely to stop an expected transfer to the Judicial Council.
According to the usually well-informed Al’-Jumhuriyyah’ daily, the military court of cassation was likely to issue its final judgement against Samaha before next Thursday, which would cancel minister Rifi’s plans and, many Lebanese hoped, close the thorny file. In fact, a referral to the judicial council, which was empowered to try state security cases, including treason, ensured a long process that guaranteed political headaches for all concerned.
The military court released Samaha on a $100,000 (Dh367,000) bail on January 21 after he answered a series of questions on the transfer of explosives from Syria to Lebanon for the purpose of carrying out terrorist acts, which shocked the Lebanese.
With the exception of pro-Syrian politicians and parties, the vast majority of Lebanese condemned the release, which occurred after Samaha was tried in May 2015, found guilty of terrorism, and sentenced to four-and-half years in prison. In June 2015, the Cassation Court nullified the verdict and ordered a retrial, which led to the bail release and now an effort to transfer the case to the judicial council.
