The allegations come amid a Hezbollah campaign to undermine the tribunal investigating Rafik Hariri’s 2005 assassination. The Shiite militant group has questioned the court’s neutrality ahead of indictments expected to link Hezbollah members to the slaying.

Sheik Hassan Nasrallah cited the case of four former Lebanese generals jailed for nearly four years in connection with the killing before being released for lack of evidence last year. He noted that the court agreed to let one general see his secret case file, but the prosecutor, Daniel Bellemare, appealed the decision.

“Why is Bellemare insisting on refusing to hand over even part of the files of the false witnesses?” Nasrallah asked. “Why is there insistence to protect false witnesses by Mr. Bellemare and the United Nations.” The Hezbollah leader’s comments came three days after UN

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all parties not to interfere in the work of the tribunal, a message clearly directed at Hezbollah and its ally Syria. Ban rejected any attempt to discredit the tribunal and strongly defended its work.

With indictments expected before the end of the year, the allegations of false witnesses hampering the investigation is fueled a sharp debate in Lebanon, and the Lebanese Cabinet is expected to discuss the issue Tuesday.

Speaking about next week’s visit to Lebanon by Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Nasrallah said the Iranian leader will not go to the border with Israel and throw a stone at the Jewish state as has been widely reported in Lebanon.

He added that Ahmadinejad will visit the southern town of Bint Jbeil that witnessed heavy fighting between Hezbollah guerrillas and Israeli troops during their 34-day in 2006.