The meeting between the Public Prosecutor, Judge Jamal Al-Hajjar, and the Judicial Investigator, Judge Tarek Bitar, has broken the stalemate that has hindered the investigation into the Beirut port explosion for two years. It has opened the door for cooperation between the two parties, allowing the case, which is fraught with political and even security mines, to proceed. Al-Hajjar's eagerness to meet with the judicial investigator indicates that the new Attorney General will not succumb to the will to obstruct the investigation into the most serious crime Lebanon has witnessed. Judicial sources informed "Anbaa" that the new Public Prosecutor will not remain a bystander to the paralysis of the investigation and is ready to cooperate with Bitar in a manner that serves the case and the victims' families. They believe that the rupture between the judicial investigator and the Public Prosecutor's Office will not last, noting that it is unnatural for the latter to suspend its dealings with Bitar or refuse to accept any memorandum from him. They considered that the circumstances influencing the performance of former Public Prosecutor Judge Ghassan Oueidat do not apply to his successor, Jamal Al-Hajjar, who is not affected by the political and non-political calculations that led Oueidat into conflict with Bitar, culminating in mutual lawsuits.
"Seek help for your needs through confidentiality," is the only phrase Al-Hajjar uttered after his hour-long meeting with Bitar, yet it implies deeper meanings, suggesting that his engagement with the port case will be positive and devoid of noise or public statements. Sources following the case believe that 2024 will be pivotal. They revealed to "Anbaa" that Bitar is determined to conclude the investigations and issue the indictment within a few months, certainly before the end of the current year. He is confident in all the decisions he has made previously and will not back down from any of them. If there are any shortcomings in the decisions, the judicial council is the competent authority capable of nullifying them.
It is true that the investigation procedures concerning the port case have been stalled for two years and three months, but this does not mean that Bitar has remained inactive during this period. Sources do not hide that he has been formulating his vision for the indictment and the individuals that will be charged, including politicians, security personnel, and judges, each according to their role and responsibilities. Regarding the recent decisions made by the two public prosecutors of the Court of Cassation, Judges Imad Qabalan and Sabuh Suleiman, which involved suspending the effects of the two absence arrest warrants issued by Bitar against former ministers Ali Hassan Khalil and Youssef Finyanus, sources indicated that this development would not affect the course of the case but carries legal consequences for those who issued these decisions.
As the indictment is being prepared, sources point out that Bitar is well-acquainted with all the data, and his decision will clarify how the ammonium nitrate entered the Beirut port, its presence for over six years, and the circumstances and reasons for the explosion. They asserted that all those accused by the judicial investigator bear responsibilities, which will be evident in the text of the indictment, according to what was reported by "Anbaa" Kuwait.
