Journalist Riad Tawk will appear in court on Tuesday following a libel suit filed against him by the Deputy Prosecutor General at the Court of Cassation, Sabbouh Sleiman.
On Tuesday, Judge Sleiman suspended the execution of the arrest warrant against former Minister of Public Works, Youssef Fenianos, who is being prosecuted for administrative negligence in the Beirut Port explosion. The warrant had been issued by Judge Tarek Bitar, who is in charge of the investigation.
The judge's complaint follows the broadcast of a video by Tawk on the Beirut Time platform on January 17, in which he criticized the judge's decision to suspend the execution of the arrest warrant against Fenianos. Tawk also accused the Public Prosecutor, Judge Ghassan Oueidate, of dealing with prosecutors "like puppets." According to the Janoubia website, Judge Sleiman requested that the interim judge prevent Tawk from broadcasting and publishing any documents that he had threatened to reveal in the aforementioned broadcast targeting Judge Sleiman.
He has filed a complaint against Tawk with Judge Oueidate's office for libel and slander. He is requesting that the journalist be arrested, interrogated, and brought before the competent court, as well as $200,000 for moral prejudice.
Judge Oueidate forwarded the complaint to the Criminal Investigation Department, requesting that Tawk be summoned to testify and for appropriate legal action to be taken against him.
In a post on his Facebook page on January 20, Riad Tawk announced that he would appear at the Beirut Justice Palace on Tuesday to give his testimony. He also said that he had revealed how Judge Sleiman had transferred his money abroad in the midst of the financial crisis, leading him to "carry out the agenda of those who want to sabotage the investigation into the Port explosion."
On Tuesday, Judge Sleiman suspended the execution of the arrest warrant against former Minister of Public Works, Youssef Fenianos, who is being prosecuted for administrative negligence in the Beirut Port explosion. The warrant had been issued by Judge Tarek Bitar, who is in charge of the investigation.
The judge's complaint follows the broadcast of a video by Tawk on the Beirut Time platform on January 17, in which he criticized the judge's decision to suspend the execution of the arrest warrant against Fenianos. Tawk also accused the Public Prosecutor, Judge Ghassan Oueidate, of dealing with prosecutors "like puppets." According to the Janoubia website, Judge Sleiman requested that the interim judge prevent Tawk from broadcasting and publishing any documents that he had threatened to reveal in the aforementioned broadcast targeting Judge Sleiman.
He has filed a complaint against Tawk with Judge Oueidate's office for libel and slander. He is requesting that the journalist be arrested, interrogated, and brought before the competent court, as well as $200,000 for moral prejudice.
Judge Oueidate forwarded the complaint to the Criminal Investigation Department, requesting that Tawk be summoned to testify and for appropriate legal action to be taken against him.
In a post on his Facebook page on January 20, Riad Tawk announced that he would appear at the Beirut Justice Palace on Tuesday to give his testimony. He also said that he had revealed how Judge Sleiman had transferred his money abroad in the midst of the financial crisis, leading him to "carry out the agenda of those who want to sabotage the investigation into the Port explosion."
This Is Beirut
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