The Metropolitan of Beirut, Archbishop Elias Audi, stigmatized in his Sunday Sermon the obstruction of the investigation into “the crime of the explosion of August 4,” which constitutes “a disgrace for our state and for some of our judges.”
“The latter have not only failed in their duty to uncover the truth and impose justice, but they are working to obstruct the investigations abiding by the wishes of politicians,” he said. The Archbishop pointed out that these politicians “abuse their power and refuse to appear before the first investigating judge (Tarek Bitar) instead of proving their innocence and setting a good example in terms of respect for the law.”
The Metropolitan of Beirut gravely denounced the “indifference” of magistrates and politicians towards the families of the victims and the injured.
He was particularly referring to the suspension of the arrest warrant for former minister Youssef Fenianos (close to the Marada party), and accused of “criminal negligence” in the case. This decision, taken by the Advocate General of the Court of Cassation Judge Sabouh Sleiman, provoked indignation and anger, particularly among the families of the victims.
Moreover, Archbishop Audi criticized Lebanese leaders who are “incapable of seeing clearly and are leading the country towards the abyss, driven by their sins and interests.” He deemed it necessary for those in charge “to work to find solutions to the country’s problems, and not to prioritize their personal interests and engage in wars of influence.”
He wondered whether a country “could be built without a head (of state) to lead the ruling group (…) or a government that could draw up and implement reform plans instead of drafting a disastrous finance law, in the opinion of the majority of deputies, or without an honest and fair judiciary that does not remain silent in the face of injustice and does not make concessions at the expense of truth.”
