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| Family of Sidon mayor blasts UN probe team over summons | ||
| 2005-11-29 | ||
| SIDON: Rouqayya Bizri, the sister of Sidon mayor Abdel-Rahman Bizri, condemned her summons for interrogation Monday by the UN probe investigating the murder of former Premier Rafik Hariri. "You have to know who reported my name to the judiciary!" she shouted, during a gathering in the home of the late minister Nazih Bizri. Rouqayya Bizri, along with citizens Hassan Hashisho and his wife Sukayna, were summoned by the judiciary for interrogation into the case on Sunday. "He who gave my name to the investigators is capable of doing the same to someone else tomorrow," Rouqayya added.
The absence of Sidon MP Bahia Hariri, the sister of Rafik Hariri, as well as the absence of a representative of the Amal Movement and Hizbullah was noticeable. Participants reported that Abdel-Rahman Bizri received a telephone call from Prime Minister Fouad Siniora inquiring about the issue. The mayor asserted that the family "is keen on preserving the unity of the Lebanese despite their viewpoints, but it is keener about knowing the truth behind Hariri's assassination." Commenting on Siniora's phone call, he said: "The premier is now aware of the situation." He added that the decision is now his and said: "I hope that Siniora will proceed to what is proper, not only to preserve the dignity of the Bizri family, but also the credibility of the investigation." He said: "Summoning my sister is regrettable; as for the family's friend Hashisho and his wife, they are absolutely innocent and could have no possible information regarding the investigation." The mayor stressed that the family anger is a response to "the disrespect caused to the family name." "Such a summoning does not only tarnish the reputation of people and their social status and profession, it also misleads the investigation and could depict a feeling of carelessness in the probe." He indicated that lawyers were contacted about the issue. He denounced the way the summons was carried out arguing that "those who summoned my sister and Hashisho are well aware of the privacy, the dignity and nobility of the house as well as the nature of conversations that take place in it, so if it [the judiciary] believes that they hold information that might help in the investigation, there are more proper and legal ways to do so."
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| Posted by:Steve |