Lebanon has reopened a probe into Imam Mousa al Sadr's 1978 disappearance in Libya and summonses are in the works for Moammar Gadhafi and 18 senior officials of his regime to appear for questioning before an examining magistrate in Beirut.
The new Lebanese move was declared in Beirut Monday by state prosecutor Adnan Addoum, who said the summonses could be addressed to the suspects through diplomatic channels, the Beirut media reported on Tuesday.
Sadr, the spiritual leader of Lebanon's Shiite community went missing with two companions during an official visit to Libya 26 years ago. His son, Saddruddin al Sadr, and the wives of the missing companions, Sheikh Mohammed Yacoub and journalist Abbas Badreddin, filed a lawsuit with Addoum against the Libyan ruler last week.
Addoum said he had ordered the new inquiry on the ground of new evidence presented by the plaintiffs, which he did not spell out. He instructed examining judge Tarabey Rahmeh to reopen the investigation that he had terminated in 1986.
Addoum gave Rahmeh "recourse to all judicial measures, including powers to issue arrest warrants and subpoenas to throw light on this affair in the wake of the new evidence submitted by the plaintiff's lawyers," a statement from Addoum's office said.
Sadr's son and the wives of the missing companions have accused Gadhafi, his former prime minister Abdel Salam Jallud and former ambassador to Lebanon Ashur al-Fartas of kidnapping them on August 31, 1978. Sixteen other Libyan officials were also named as suspects, including former Interior Minister Abdel Salam Treiki. (albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
