Interior Minister in the caretaker government Bassam Molawi confirmed after meeting with Mufti Abdul-Latif Deryan at the Dar Al-Fatwa that "this visit was scheduled in advance, and the appointment was mid-last week or earlier, and it is not related to any recent circumstances in the media." Regarding the recent circumstances that emerged in the media, he clarified that the session held at the beginning of the week at the Grand Serail was intended to discuss border control. Therefore, the call for a Cabinet meeting does not come from the Interior Minister but from the Secretary-General of the Cabinet. The meeting was specifically designated to discuss border control and it was not the role of the Interior Minister to call anyone to this session.
He added: "We are doing our work to serve citizens, to set everything right, and to address any existing issues if present. From this standpoint, we affirmed to His Eminence the Mufti that we do not accept any irregularities in the administration or any department affiliated with the Ministry of Interior. I do not claim there is an irregularity, and we assured His Eminence that our people, our religion, our faith, and the aspirations of the Lebanese people and the upbringing we received, as well as what all the brotherly and Arab countries and the international community seek, is for the Lebanese state and its administrations to be sound and free from any kind of anomalies or corruption. God does not love corruption, and we continue our work in the Ministry of Interior across all related departments to fulfill our duties as you have known us."
Molawi continued: "As for the Traffic Management Authority, we have fulfilled what is necessary based on a request from the judiciary, and concerning the rumors circulating, for example, about Huda Seloum or others, we will not accept the return of any individual who has been proven to have committed corruption back into the administration. This is reflected in all our legal steps. As for the relationship between the minister and the directorate and the director-general of the Internal Security Forces, there is no personal dispute. We perform our duties within the defined frameworks, and the relationship is governed by the laws, particularly Law No. 17 concerning the organization of the Internal Security Forces."
He pointed out that "the director-general performs his duties and the Minister of Interior performs his duties according to Article 66 of the Constitution, which places him at the head of his administration and establishes the Minister of Interior as a supervising authority over the General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces, not as a guardian minister. We continue to protect our institutions and the rights of security apparatuses. These respected security institutions and their leaders are working diligently to ensure security for the Lebanese, which is a priority under these circumstances."
Dar Al-Fatwa's media office reported that Mufti Deryan confirmed during the meeting that "the security of Lebanon is part of the security of the region, and the Lebanese security forces have a significant and distinctive role in maintaining the security of the homeland and the citizen." He stated: "This necessitates more cooperation and integration among all security apparatuses, foremost among them the army and the Internal Security Forces. Especially given that the Internal Security Forces and their leadership play an important role internally, particularly in these difficult circumstances that Lebanon and the Lebanese are experiencing. It is clear that the security forces remain steadfast and cohesive in service of the Lebanese state and institutions, and everyone should support them—leadership, officers, and individuals—with guidance and follow-up from the political authority linked to them, which must protect, support, and embrace these institutions with their recognized leadership known for patience, diligent work, and patriotism through all stages and challenges they face from time to time."
Mufti Deryan confirmed that "Minister Molawi informed him that there is no dispute between the Minister of Interior and the leaderships of the security apparatuses linked to him, as everyone is working to serve Lebanon and its people in these painful circumstances that Lebanon is undergoing due to the irregularity of public life." It is worth noting that the Mufti will receive Major General Emad Osman tomorrow, Tuesday, at noon.
