Wiretapping Crisis Escalates As Police Chief Accuses Bassil of Withholding Data
The wiretapping crisis has spurred sky-high as Police chief Gen. Ashraf Rifi accused Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil of withholding data from security services.
News reports on Friday said a meeting on Thursday of the Media and Communications Committee was very hot, particularly when Rifi accused Bassil of withholding data from security services.
The conferees – including some 40 MPs from various political sides, the interior and justice ministers as well as General Security head Wafiq Jezzini and Police chief Gen. Ashraf Rifi — agreed Thursday to move toward the establishment of a parliamentary investigative committee to look into the wiretapping issue.
Rifi accused Bassil of withholding data from security services on three different occasions: The first from July 27, 2008 for a period of 14 days, the second on Sept. 10, 2008 when pro-Syrian Lebanese politician Saleh Aridi was assassinated and the third on Jan. 19, 2009.
Rifi, according to the daily Al Akhbar newspaper, also accused New TV and Syrian Intelligence of tapping his phone, citing a telephone conversation aired by the television between him and Lebanese detainee Ahmed Merhi who has links to al-Qaida.
Al Akhbar said Bassil presented documents issued during the period when Marwan Hamadeh was Telecommunications Minister showing General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza”s approval for citizens” requests to wiretap certain phone numbers on Lebanon”s two cell phone companies.
Hamadeh announced that Thursday”s meeting "showed that Syrian intelligence was responsible for eavesdropping" on all phone calls.
MP Ghazi Youssef hinted that March 14 MPs would propose debriefing Bassil and subsequently seek a no-confidence vote against him.
Meanwhile, an MP who took part in Thursday”s session told the daily Al Liwa that Jizzini defended Bassil, pointing to the right given to Securite Generale (General Security) to be responsible for eavesdropping.
Bassil is scheduled to hold a press conference on Friday to respond to the allegations.