BEIRUT, 25 September 2005 — The UN probe into the February assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri is to report its findings in October, but the Lebanese investigation is likely to continue, Justice Minister Charles Rizk said yesterday. “The report will be the result of (Detlev) Mehlis’ investigation since he came to Lebanon” in mid-June, Rizk said in a statement. “The elements of the international investigation are very important but are only elements of the Lebanese investigation, which could go on,” he added.
Mehlis, a German prosecutor, has been interrogating Lebanese and Syrian officials and, as a result, Beirut has already brought charges against four top current and former aides to Lebanese President Emile Lahoud. Lahoud’s top bodyguard and three ex-security chiefs face charges that include premeditated murder in the Feb. 14 bomb blast that killed the popular five-time prime minister and 20 others in Beirut.
The commission is to submit its report to Lebanese officials on October 21, three days before its mandate expires, but Rizk said that will not provide the final word. “There are people who speak of the report as if it were going to uncover the entire truth and render a verdict with the names of those responsible, and I think this reveals ignorance of the wheels of justice,” Rizk said in a statement, underlining his “duty to tell the truth to the Lebanese people.”
The UN team completed its mission in Damascus on Friday, the official Syrian news agency SANA reported. “The international inquiry commission has completed its mission in Syria,” a representative of the Foreign Ministry said, according to SANE. “The commission met with the Syrian officials that it wanted to hear from as well as witnesses,” the unidentified ministry official said. “This initiative shows Syria’s desire to cooperate with the commission to identify those responsible for this terrible crime,” the source said.
