Indictment Demands Death Penalty for Samaha, Mamlouk...Kfoury Absent, Protected

Mona Thini

The Lebanese Military Investigative Judge Riad Abu Ghayda recommended Wednesday the death penalty for former Information Minister Michel Samaha, and the Syrian Major General Ali Mamlouk.

The judge also issued a warrant to uncover the full identity of a second Syrian official, identified as Col. Adnan.
As the issued indictment requested the death penalty for Samaha, well informed judiciary sources stated that "the judge's decision is nothing more than an accusatory one."

"The case is not over yet and the end still waits," the sources stated, and noted that "the accusatory decision is based on suspicions, and not evidences."

Usually, the judge asks for the most severe penalties because of suspicions in the accused person. That's why this indictment doesn't form the end of the case."
Accordingly, the final word is not for the investigating judge but to the military court that issues its decisions on the basis of evidences and not suspicions.
This court can change the criminal description of the suspect so that it can accuse him on the basis of other judiciary articles.

After the military court, there comes the role of the Military Court of Cassation which in turn can change the course of the case.
In relation to the aspects of this decision, some paragraphs of Samaha's statements confirmed that the aim was only limited to the smuggling of weapons from Syria to Lebanon.
Regarding the allegation that Major General Jamil Sayyed accompanied Samaha during the transport of explosives from Damascus to Beirut, Samaha said: "I did not tell him, I did not tell anyone else, regarding the presence of explosives in my car."

In the text of the indictment, many statements were present, including the briefings of Sayyed and people working with Samaha.
However, the main important person, who was absent in the testimonies, was Milad Kfoury, whom the security services couldn't bring because he is protected by one of these security services.

Source: al-Ahed news, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org