Lead investigative judge into the Beirut port blast, Tarek al-Bitar, asserted Monday that “no culprit will remain outside prison and no innocent will remain in prison.”
Families of the victims and survivors of the Aug. 4 blast have accused the ruling political class of corruption and negligence that led to the explosion of ammonium nitrates, a highly explosive material used in fertilizers that had been improperly stored in the port for years.
Speaking to a delegation from the families of the victims, Bitar said that “any measure taken will be based on clear scientific evidence and we will hold accountable any wrongdoer, be them politicians, security officials or others.”
He said the investigation will tackle all the aspects of the case, starting by the ship Rhosus, the ammonium nitrate shipment and its owners, the side that imported the cargo and those who paid for it, stored it at the port and kept it there for seven years.
“The probe will unveil the truth and determine how the explosion happened and whether it was the result of a welding error, a certain security act or a missile,” he noted.
Bitar stressed that he will seek the assistance of all Lebanese and foreign security agencies to reach credible answers to all the points that have raised question marks.
The families of the victims said they will support the judge in all his steps, hoping the investigation will not take time more than it requires.
Last month, the High Judicial Council named Bitar to lead the investigation into the massive Aug. 4 explosion at Beirut's port, a day after his predecessor, Judge Fadi Sawwan, was removed following legal challenges by senior officials he had accused of negligence that led to the blast.
