BEIRUT: Future Movement MP Ahmad Fatfat warned Monday that there were attempts to overstep the authority of the government and the prime minister, describing the recent incident at a building affiliated to the Telecoms Ministry as "political par excellence."
“There are attempts to overstep the authority of the Cabinet and the prime minister,” Fatfat told Voice of Lebanon. Fatfat was referring to a recent incident at facilities affiliated to a Telecoms Ministry building in Adlieh Wednesday.
The incident Wednesday saw members of the Information Branch of the Internal Security Forces barring Telecom Minister Charbel Nahhas and technicians from entering the second floor of the Adlieh building, which contains equipment belonging to a third cellular network that was donated by China. Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud, who had issued orders that the security personnel withdraw from the facilities, absolved himself of his ministerial duties over the incident. The Lebanese Army has since taken over control of the security of the facilities.
The rival March 14 and March 8 coalitions have launched counter
accusations of misconduct over the incident at the telecoms building:
the former accusing Nahhas for what they claim was an attempt by the
Free Patriotic Movement officials to misappropriate state property among
others; the latter seeking to refer the head of the ISF, Brig. Gen.
Ashraf Rifi, to the military tribunal for failing to comply with
Baroud’s orders to withdraw the men.
Describing the incident as “political par excellence,” Fafat said his parliamentary bloc would look into the subject at the telecoms and information subcommittee in Parliament later in the day. “We will ask Nahhas questions to clarify some of the details,” Nahhas added.