Qindil's interrogated for the second time on Hariri assassination

The chairman of the UN investigation committee into the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, Detlev Mehlis, on Thursday interrogated Lebanese parliamentarian Nasser Qindil who is aligned with Syria, for the second time in less than 10 days. His office aid said that he was interrogated as a witness.

Chairman of the committee Mehlis said last week that Qindil will continue to be a suspect even if he is not held in custody, but this time the committee did not comment on the matter.

Mehlis is expected to be in Damascus tomorrow. Damascus accepted the visit after a long hesitation and a criticism from the UN over being not cooperative, but the UN did not confirm the visit yet.

Mehlis is expected to ask for the meeting of the minister of interior who was the former chairman of the Syrian intelligence in Lebanon, Ghazi Kanaan, and his successor Roustoum Ghazaleh and two of his aides Muhammad Makhlouf and Jame Jame.

Last week, Damascus described Mehlis as an honest man, and did not doubt his ability to find out the facts. Damascus also accused Washington and other capitals of using the assassination of al-Hariri to pressure Syria, and dismantle the historical link between the Syrian and Lebanese paths.