Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister and at least three ex-ministers have been indicted by the court on charges of negligence in relation to the deadly explosion at a Beirut port that killed more than 200, wounded 6,000, and rendered thousands homeless. Lebanese PM Hassan Diab, however, told the state-run press that he had been transparent and his “hands are clean.”
Former finance minister Ali Hassan Khalil, as well as former ministers of public works, Ghazi Zeiter and Youssef Fenianos, have also been charged by the Lebanese prosecutor Judge Fadi Sawwan in a probe. Diab had also allegedly garnered Hezbollah and its allies’ backing after Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned due to the mass anti-government demonstrations post the blasts.
In a statement issued by Prime Minister Diab’s office, the lawmakers claimed that Judge Sawwan was violating the constitution bypassing the parliament, adding that the PM had turned in all the details and information related to the blast in a file, maintaining transparency. “Hassan Diab will not allow the premiership to be targeted by any party,” the statement read.
According to the prosecutor’s ruling, Lebanon’s PM Diab, the security forces, and the nation’s politicians were aware of the large stockpile of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate which was stored in a warehouse at the port for six years, but the authorities had “done nothing about it
