The Maronite Patriarch Béchara Boutros Rahi greeted in his Sunday homily the decisions taken by the Court of Cassation in the context of the Beirut port case. He thus referred to the rejection of the complaints and appeals presented by the former ministers of finance Ali Hassan Khalil, of public works Ghazi Zoaiter, of the interior Nouhad Machnouk and of transport Youssef Fenianos, as well as of the former prime minister Hassan Diab allowing perhaps an imminent resumption of the investigations carried out by judge Tarek Bitar.
The unanimous decision of the general commission of the Court of Cassation confirmed the correctness of the judicial inquiry, restoring the seriousness, prestige and unity of the Lebanese justice system, and reviving the hope that the investigation into criminality in the port can continue far from politicization, sectarianization and interests, believes the Maronite patriarch who also attacked the obstacles preventing the holding of meetings of the council of ministers. He thus alluded to threats from the Amal and Hezbollah movements to resign if the government did not decide to challenge the magistrate following the publication at the beginning of November of an arrest warrant against Ali Hassan Khalil.
Patriarch Rahi believes that the deterioration of the Lebanese pound, the increased impoverishment of the population, emigration or the diplomatic crisis are all possible reasons for favoring the resumption of government meetings.
It is unacceptable that the Cabinet remains absent or the hostage of such or such party while it is the authority concerned with the rescue of Lebanon “, concluded the patriarch.
