The Judicial Council convened today, Friday, at the Palace of Justice in Beirut, chaired by First President Judge Suhail Abboud, with the participation of judges: Jamal al-Hijar, Afif Hakim, Jean-Mark Oweiss, and Maya Majed, along with the presence of the representative of the Public Prosecution, Judge Mirna Klass, in two consecutive sessions. The first session was dedicated to continuing the trial regarding the terrorist explosion that occurred on the wide street in the Haret Hreik area on January 2, 2014, resulting in the deaths of six individuals, more than 70 injuries, and significant damage to numerous public and private properties.
The facts mentioned in the indictment were read, which included the names of the defendants, both present and absent, along with the criminal acts committed by them and the legal provisions applicable. These acts were summarized as leading to the formation of a gang of criminals and membership in armed organizations: "ISIS" and "Jabhat al-Nusra," to carry out terrorist acts that threaten citizens' security and endanger the state, acts classified under the crime of attempted murder.
Following the public reading of the indictment, and for the purpose of questioning the detained defendants, the session was postponed to November 24, 2023. The council then moved on to continue questioning defendants from a total of four detained in the fuel tank explosion in the town of Tleil in Akkar on August 14, 2021.
The suspects present included: Houedi Al-Assaad, Basel Al-Assaad represented by lawyer Roland Salama, and Pierre and Claude Ibrahim represented by their lawyer Ali Al-Ashmar. The questioning of detained suspect Richard Ibrahim commenced, during which he stated that he would repeat the testimonies and statements he had provided during the investigation, indicating that he works with his father in the construction materials trade, not in fuel trading, and does not know anything about his father's relationship with the detained suspect Ali Al-Faraj.
He denied "any existing partnership between them and stated that there is no knowledge of any relationship between Al-Faraj and the suspects Basel and Houedi Al-Assaad," but he observed "Al-Faraj passing by in his car towards the family’s stock, where he was inspecting the tanks belonging to him, noting the presence of two individuals who worked for him without knowing their names, indicating that he is not aware if Ali Al-Faraj and the Al-Assaad brothers are involved in smuggling materials between Lebanon and Syria."
He pointed out that "the number of tanks owned by his father is two: one above ground and the other underground at the house's focal point, aimed at storing diesel fuel for their trucks, and that the above-ground tank is about 50 meters away from the residence villas, as is the underground tank." He stated, "In the mentioned focal point, there are three above-ground tanks belonging to Ali Al-Faraj, and he does not know their capacities or contents, nor if there was any direct partnership with his father." He mentioned that he "forgot whether his father had purchased any tanks from Al-Faraj and Basel Al-Assaad."
