ALBAWABA - Nohad Machnouk, a former Lebanese minister, arrived at the office of the judicial investigator into the Beirut port explosion case, Judge Tarek Bitar, accompanied by his attorney, Naoum Farah, National News Agency (NNA) confirmed on Thursday.
NNA correspondent also reported that the interrogation session began as the former minister will be questioned in the case of the Beirut port blast on Aug. 4, 2020, which killed over 220 people and left more than 6,500 others injured.
The Lebanese judge questioned two people on Friday in the blast case, the first one was Rabih Srour, who was responsible for security at Beirut port warehouse 12, where hazardous materials, including the ammonium nitrate that exploded, were kept, AFP reported citing a Lebanese official, who requested to keep his identity hidden.
Lebanese firefighters put out a fire that broke out at Beirut's port area on September 10, 2020. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP)
Furthermore, the second person with Srour was Salim Shebli, the owner of the company,y which was responsible for carrying out welding work at the warehouse.
After two years of being hampered by Lebanese authorities, the lead investigator in the Beirut port blast case, Judge Tarek Bitar resumed resumed the probe, Human Rights Watch revealed. The investigation was first suspended in December 2021.
Local media in Lebanon also added that on Jan. 16, 2025, Judge Bitar summoned another 10 employees and security officials implicated in the explosion for questioning, revealing that court sessions would take place in the coming months.
Who is Nohad Machnouk?
Nohad Machnouk is a Lebanese politician who served as the Minister of Interior and Municipalities and a Member of Parliament representing Beirut’s second district.
According to Lebanese sources, Machnouk is a member of the "Future Bloc" coalition and serves on the Human Rights and Foreign Affairs parliamentary committees.
