UN Chief Investigator Serge Brammertz visited two ministers on Friday and said he was "content" with the steps taken by the Lebanese authorities to facilitate the mission of the UN probe investigating the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, according to a source from the Interior Ministry. Brammertz met with Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa, and then with Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamade but didn't talk with reporters after either meeting.According to the source, "Brammertz told Sabaa that he was content with the interior ministry's procedures to facilitate the mission as well as its security apparatus." Brammertz said that the security and judiciary "complement one another" and that the coordination between both apparatuses "is necessary for any mission to succeed."
"The meeting with Sabaa was merely a protocol visit to get to know him," said the source. Sabaa, who came back to Beirut late Wednesday from Tunis, had not previously met with Brammertz, who arrived in Beirut on January 19. Ever since Brammertz was assigned to lead the UN probe, leaks about the UN probe's work have decreased and so did the rumors. On his arrival in Beirut, Brammertz had told reporters that his priority "will remain to assist the Lebanese authorities in their investigation," and to work "with independence and impartiality and in compliance with Security Council resolutions."