Lebanese paper accuses Mehlis of bias

A Lebanese newspaper said on Thursday that investigations over assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafiq Hariri divulged that testimonies of a runaway Syrian solider in this respect were "forged and inaccurate."

Syrian dailies on Friday quoted Lebanese newspaper "Addiyar" as saying the United Nations was dealt a big shock and the investigation committee headed by Detlev Mehlis was effected, a matter that called UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to send Terje Road Larsen to the region to save the situation after the committee faltered as a victim of lies from one defined political party and in light of Mehlis adopting of the story.

The paper added that Annan received obvious reports pointing out that the mission of Mehlis suffered in its credibility mainly after the admission of Syrian soldier Zouhair Siddiq in Paris to the French authorities that he had fabricated his story.

It noted that Annan asked why Mehlis was interested in meeting Siddiq in Geneva and did no uncover faked papers he had in his possession and why he did not demand information from Syria regarding the Syrian soldier Siddiq before carrying on investigation and accusing that Siddiq is a Colonel in the Syrian army and not a regular solider.

The daily said that the story of Siddiq was made-up to serve a Lebanese political side for a big amount of money.