Ex-Lebanese security chiefs quizzed in assassination probe

Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said today that three former Lebanese security chiefs and the commander of the Presidential Guards are suspects in the UN investigation into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The prime minister confirmed that the three former security chiefs had been detained for questioning this morning and that the Guards commander had been summoned to appear before the UN probe.

Saniora spoke hours after police detained Maj Gen Jamil Sayyed, the former chief of General Security, Maj Gen Ali Hajj, the former director general of the Internal Security Forces, and Brig Gen Raymond Azar, the former director general of military intelligence, at their homes.

The commander of the Presidential Guards, Brig Gen Mustafa Hamdan, appeared before the UN investigation in response to a summons, the Justice Ministry said.

The chief UN investigator, Detlev Mehlis, met separately with the prime minister and justice minister this morning.

The Justice Ministry statement said the UN investigation had been granted permission to use the police to “carry out raids, searches and escorting of persons for questioning”.

Lebanese security officials reported that former Justice Minister Adnan Addoum had also been summoned to the UN investigation, but the ministry statement did not mention its former minister.

The detentions were the police’s first major move since Hariri and 20 people were killed by a massive truck bomb in central Beirut on February 14.

Under Lebanese law, those held for questioning can be detained for up to four days, but the order may be extended.

Afterwards, the detainee is either released, freed on bail or formally arrested.

The detainees and the Guards commander have previously been questioned by Mehlis, the German prosecutor who is leading the UN Security Council-mandated investigation into the assassination.