BEIRUT: A Lebanese accused of collaborating with Israel denied charges against him during his first interrogation session Friday before the Military Tribunal, headed by Brig. Nizar Khalil.

Philips Hanna Sader, a former Lebanese Army first sergeant, denied that he collaborated with Israel, saying he was forced to confess that he did so under torture, while detained by both army intelligence and the Internal Security Forces’ Information Branch.

Sader was arrested last summer by authorities as part of a crack-down on collaborators. He confessed during preliminary investigations and before the investigative judge that he collaborated with Israel.

Sader, who was interrogated for more than one hour, is accused of providing Mossad with information about the residences of Lebanese officials, including President Michel Sleiman and Army Commander Gen. Jean Kahwaji, and about government buildings, army barracks, Hezbollah headquarters and the Syrian Army inside Syria.

The detainee said the charges were fabricated by the Information Branch, “which exploited the fact that my house is near that of the president in the town of Amsheet to invent a story saying that I was watching the president’s house as ordered by the Israelis.”

Asked how he knew about a probe that was tied to Kahwaji’s yacht, Sader said the maritime company in which he worked had ordered him to examine Kahwaji’s yacht. In his testimony, Sader said that he went several times to Syria, where he worked on setting up radars for the Syrian government.

Sader denied meeting an Israeli officer in Cyprus, who transferred him to Israel. Sader said he visited Cyprus in 2006 as a tourist, and to look for work.

Separately, the Military Tribunal postponed the trials of Adib Alam, a General Security retired brigadier, his wife Hayat Saloumi and Nicholas Habib until March 4, to enable defense attorney Naji Yaghi to prepare a list of witnesses. The three detainees are accused of collaborating with Israel.