The President of the Higher Judicial Council, Judge Souheil Abboud, has named an investigating judge to examine the accusation of “imposture of identity” made by Public Prosecutor Judge Ghassan Oueidat against Investigative Judge Tarek Bitar, who was in charge of the probe into the double explosions at the Beirut Port on August 4, 2020.
According to sources quoted by sister company Houna Loubnan, Souheil Abboud appointed investigating Judge Habib Rizkallah to look into the case. Rizkallah is “higher placed than Tarek Bitar, and has already started his mission away from the limelight.”
Oueidate has pressed charges against Bitar after the latter unexpectedly resumed inquiry into the port blast after a 13-month suspension due to political resistance to his attempts to interrogate top officials.
The devastating port explosion killed some 220 people, injured thousands, and destroyed large parts of Beirut.
