Beirut: In what was a rare confrontation between one of the country’s most senior retired cops and the current officeholder, Ashraf Rifi — Lebanon’s former head of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) and former Minister of Justice — denounced General Ebrahim Basbous and alleged police misconduct against his bodyguard.

On Sunday, the ISF responded to Rifi for his scathing comments over the arrest of Omar Bahr, earlier during the week. It stressed that the arrest was part of a routine operation and only came after Bahr had violated the code of conduct that applied to his position and rank although it is still unclear what actually occurred that warranted such a drastic measure.

The ISF statement added that the move was not politically motivated as the former minister claimed, but concentrated on Sergeant-Major Bahr’s application for a new civilian passport while still in possession of a valid document.

Bahr allegedly confessed to leaving Lebanon with Rifi without obtaining an official permit, which apparently is a violation of ISF procedures, although the Tripoli leader, Rifi, tweeted that his bodyguard never travelled with him abroad. “I will ask General Security to request the announcement of mine and my bodyguard’s time and date of travel,” Rifi said, though what was shocking was whether the infraction, if accurate, warranted a full-fledged arrest and a procedural 30-day incarceration.

Rifi, a seasoned officer, described Bahr’s detention as “malicious” and, equally important, as payback for at least three major political infractions on his part:

First, for his long-standing and repeated criticisms of Hezbollah that, in the former ISF chief’s view, was a “state within a state” and that he pledged to oppose. Time and again, Rifi affirmed that Hezbollah stood behind false accusations against him and others who rejected the pro-Iranian party’s activities inside Lebanon as well as in the Syrian, Iraqi and Yemeni wars.

“Why are the practices of the bodyguards of those behind the false accusations ignored,” Rifi asked, pointing to that fact that a number of security officers who participated in political meetings with Hezbollah, which was presumably in violation of ISF rules, were seldom questioned much less arrested for any type of investigation.

Second, Rifi believed that his resignation from former Prime Minister Tammam Salam’s Cabinet was deemed an offensive act, after he publicly declared that Hezbollah “dominated” all government institutions. On February 21, 2016, Rifi tendered his resignation to protest the cabinet’s procrastination over the case of former Minister of Information Michel Samaha, convicted of terrorism charges, to the Judicial Council.

Third, and far more important, Rifi posed something of a political challenge as he was the uncontested victor of the May 2016 municipal elections in Tripoli, which he swept against the combined forces of Mohammed Safadi, Najib Mikati and Sa‘ad Hariri that, to put it mildly, embarrassed the three billionaire Sunni leaders who believed that Tripoli was theirs.

Inasmuch as Rifi boasted about his growing influence in the Sunni community, and prepared to launch a sustained campaign ahead of the scheduled Spring 2017 parliamentary elections, his very presence was deemed a political threat by many opponents and that explained, at least partially, his body guard’s arrest.

A few days ago, the former minister clarified that his bodyguard had requested to be discharged from military service several months ago. But this had not been approved, which was surprising, he said.

The official ISF statement reiterated that the arrest was an effort to “enhance discipline without any kind of political retaliation,” adding that this is one of “the tens of behaviour investigations that are done on a daily basis”.

Undeterred, Rifi repeated his criticism of the Hezbollah, and accused it of instigating the latest accusations.