Al-Sharq al-Awsat: UN investigator sees link between various Lebanese assassinations
Lebanon-Syria-UN, Politics, 12/19/2005

The top UN investigator into the killing of Lebanon's prime minister said that there seems to be a link between the different assassinations that took place in Lebanon in recently.

Detlev Mehlis, the UN chief investigator into the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri, told Al-Sharq al-Awsat that "without having looked into these cases too accurately because we do not have the authority, the mandate, to do so, from the way they were carried out, it is quite obvious that there is a link of a sort. Of course, please understand that I cannot be too precise."

Mehlis was asked "What made you keep alive the idea that fraud, corruption and money laundering might be motives (behind the assassination of Hariri). Why have you not ruled them out?" Mehlis said "because we are still investigating that point. The Bank Al-Madina is a Lebanese case. We are still looking for clues, looking for links to our case. This is a huge Lebanese case and it just takes time. So we cannot confirm or rule out anything. The investigation is just ongoing."

Bank Al-Madina is a Lebanese bank where depositor lost about a billion dollars, and is being looked into in a criminal investigation. Al-Sharq al-Awsat
in an opinion article spoke of rumors that Hariri had promised that, if he returned to office, he would pursue this investigation, implying a connection between those involved in the bank scandal and the assassination.

Previous Stories:
  Lebanese dissatisfaction with UN decision on Hariri probe   (12/17/2005)
  UN investigation resolution is moderate, Syria's UN says   (12/17/2005)
  Person at $800 million Lebanese banking scandal center   (10/28/2005)

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