BEIRUT: The family of a telecoms engineer accused of being an Israeli spy denied Friday their son has links with a former Lebanese Ogero employee who was charged earlier this week with spying for Israel.

“Reports by some media outlets about a common [phone] number between detainee Tarek and Elias Younis ... are baseless,” a statement by Tarek Rabaa’s family said.

Rabaa, an engineer with the mobile phone operator Alfa, was arrested by Lebanese authorities in July of 2010 on suspicion of spying for Israel.

“No charges have been laid against Tarek,” the family reiterated in its statement.

It called on Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi and Information Minister Walid Daouk to “intervene to protect justice and truth from being manipulated.”

Elias Younis, a retired employee with the state-run telecoms operator Ogero, was charged Wednesday with spying for Israel.

Another former Ogero employee arrested on suspicion of spying for Israel was released by Lebanese authorities in November 2011 after three months in detention.

Lebanon has already charged two employees working for Alfa with spying for Israel.