MP: Political blackmail aimed at overthrowing the government

Lebanon First bloc MP Khaled Zahraman told Voice of Lebanon (VOL) on Monday that he fears the political blackmail that Prime Minister Saad Hariri is being subjected to is aimed at overthrowing the current government.

Zahraman said that there are signs that the March 8 coalition is not satisfied with Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar’s report on the issue of “false witnesses, ” adding that he is surprised by the alliance’s constant criticism of the Lebanese and international judiciaries.

Najjar said in his report on false witnesses that the issue falls within the jurisdiction of the Lebanese judiciary but that the decision awaits a review of of the International Tribunal indictment.

On August 18, the cabinet delegated Najjar to prepare a report on false testimonies in the international investigation into the 2005 murder of former PM Hariri. Najjar is expected to present the report to the cabinet during its Tuesday session.

All the Ministers have reportedly received copies of the report.

Najjar said that the measures, until preparation of the report, included charges against Husam Ali Mohsen, Osama Kanafani, Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed, Maj. Gen. Ali Hajj, Brig. Gen. Raymond Azar, Brig. Gen. Mustafa Hamdan, Mustafa Mesto, Ayman Tarabay, Majed Hasan al-Akhras, Ra’ed Mohammed Fakhreddine, Fadi Elias al-Nammar, Majed Ghassan al-Khatib, Zuheir Mohammed Siddiq, Mahmoud Amin Abdel Aal, Ahmed Amin Abdel Aal, Ibrahim Michel Jarjoura, Firas Hatoum, Abdel Azim Khayat, Mohammed Barbar, Nassim al-Masri and Khalil al-Abdullah.

Legal, thoughtful and detailed

In an interview with An-Nahar newspaper published on Monday, Labor Minister Boutros Harb said that Najjar’s report on the issue of false witnesses “is legal, thoughtful and detailed.” He added that the report has shed a light on all aspects of the issue “to the extent allowed by the information available to Najjar.”

Harb commented on some March 8 politicians’ call to transfer the case of false witnesses to the Justice Council, saying that it is too soon to call for a transfer of the file when nothing is yet being investigated.