LEBANESE JUDGE TARGETS POLITICIANS, SECURITY CHIEFS IN BEIRUT BLAST PROBE

A Lebanese judge investigating last year's Beirut port blast announced legal procedures against a number of politicians and security chiefs, including the acting premier, a judicial source and the state news agency reported, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) said.

Lebanon's official news agency NNA reported that Judge Tarek Bitar asked the parliament to lift the immunity of some lawmakers to initiate legal proceedings as part of investigations into the August 4 explosion that killed at least 193 people.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab would also be questioned by Bitar as a defendant in the case, according to NNA. A specific date was however not announced. Bitar also asked Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi's permission to prosecute the country's former and current security chiefs, according to the agency.

A Lebanese judicial source said the judge would prosecute the suspects for negligence after they were informed of the presence of highly hazardous substances at the port and failed to take the necessary steps to prevent the blast.

The explosion was caused by tons of ammonium nitrate, which had been inadequately stored at the port. Some 300,000 people were displaced by the blast that devastated large parts of Beirut. Bitar is the second judge appointed to investigate the blast after Judge Fadi Sawan was removed last February.

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