Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al Shara said on Thursday that some media channels and what was leaked from the International Investigation Committee into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri "unjustly contributed" to the death of Gen. Ghazi Kenaan, Syria's Interior Minister, who killed himself on Wednesday.
In a statement to reporters during the funeral of Kenaan Shara added that there are "some media establishments that do not learn or get benefit from the course of events and some of them contributed to the killing of Kenaan." Al Shara wondered "how can these media outlests continue to drive accusations against Syria."
Hours before he died, Kenaan contacted the Beirut Voice of Lebanon radio station and delivered a statement, concluding with the words: "I believe this is the last statement that I could make." Kenaan made the statement to deny a report by another Beirut TV network, New TV, which argued late Tuesday that Kenaan admitted to U.N. investigators that he was involved in money extortion and corruption during what he called "my reign of Lebanon."
Al Shara added that Chairman of the International Investigation Committee, Detlev Mehlis has earlier promised to deny all reports on his meetings with Syrian officials and "therefore Syria is waiting for Mehlis to reply back to allegations of the Lebanese media channels made on the eve of Kenaan's death."
Earlier, the Syrian Ministry of Information has issued a statement on the death Kenaan. "The Council of Ministers with deepest sorrow and grief announces the passing away of Interior Minister, Ghazi Kenaan who committed suicide at his office before noon yesterday," the statement read.
The statement said that the funeral and burial will be carried out in line with the traditional procedures.
