No meeting of the Council of Ministers could take place in the near future due to the continuation of the investigation of Judge Tarek Bitar, the ministers of the Amal movement and Hezbollah conditioning their presence to the withdrawal of the magistrate in charge of the investigation relating to the explosion of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, which left more than 200 dead and more than 6,500 injured
From a judicial source, it is indicated that the investigation is heading towards an accidental origin induced by criminal negligence. Those responsible would thus be accused of homicide as a result of this negligence.
As a reminder, the judge published twice an arrest warrant against Ali Hassan Khalil, right-hand man of the president of the chamber Nabih Berri, former minister of finance and current deputy, the latter not having been not presented before him for questioning at the beginning of November. Other ministers including the former Minister of Public Works, Ghazi Zoaiter, the former Minister of the Interior Nouhad Machnouk or the former Minister of Transport Youssef Fenianos as well as the former Prime Minister Hassan Diab are also implicated. for having been informed of the presence of this cargo considered dangerous.
For the time being, several tracks are mentioned by political parties to dismiss the judge.
A first solution consists in allowing the end of the judge’s mission and the publication of the indictments, the Council of Ministers then having to refer the former ministers to the high court of justice in charge of judging the former and current presidents of the republics, prime ministers and ministers, which the Amal movement and Hezbollah refuse.
Another solution proposed by the two Shiite movements would be that the Council of Ministers decides to withdraw from the judge, another by a decision of the Minister of Justice withdrawing the judge, which the latter refuses.
Finally, some sources evoke the acceptance by Hezbollah of the resumption of the meetings of the Council of Ministers because of the urgency of certain files such as negotiations with the IMF, something however which remains very improbable.
