Beirut blast investigation suspended as judge facing new legal complaint

Beirut blast investigation suspended as judge facing new legal complaint

BEIRUT — The investigation into the Beirut port blast was suspended on Tuesday after two former ministers facing charges filed a new legal complaint against the lead investigator Judge Tarek Bitar, the National News Agency reported. The former ministers' legal complaint came a few minutes after Bitar issued an arrest warrant for former Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, who did not show up for questioning. Bitar was notified shortly after the lawyers of Khalil and former Public Works Minister Ghazi Zeaiter had made a new request to dismiss him from the case. Families of the victims announced on Tuesday that they will hold sit-ins to support Bitar and reject political interventions in the Beirut port blasts, which killed over 200 people and wounded more than 6,000 others on Aug. 4, 2020. — Agencies