On the collapse of Zeizoun dam

The London- based al-Hayat daily said in it Friday's issue that the possibility that persons are involved in wasting the public funds in Syria as a result of the collapse of Zeizoun dam has increased after 8 former Syrian officials were arrested for investigation and the fleeing of the chairman of al-Ghab branch in the Orentos basin Hussein Alloush and his family since the collapse of the dam.

The paper reported quoting well-informed sources that the investigations covered the former minister of irrigation Abdul Eahman al-Madanoi and former directors of the Orontes river basin engineer Safi Kheir Byek, of the general establishment for building up and construction Reema Bassam Naser, of the general establishment for water studies Mufeed Ibrahim; Rafiq Abu Deib, one of the directors at the Orentos basin, engineers at the water studies department and also the current director of the water studies engineer Ghassan Roustum.

The paper quoted Syrian officials as saying that the judicial authorities intend to try any shortcoming that took place in the design or construction of the dam before its inauguration in 1996.