Officers Jailed over Roumieh Prison Breakout Freed
Military Judge Maroun Zakhour on Thursday agreed to free three officers and five soldiers after 12 days for alleged "negligence of duties" that might have facilitated the escape of eight Fatah al-Islam inmates from Roumieh jail.
They were freed on LL 400,000 bail.
Interior Minister Ziad Baroud had ordered the arrest of several prison officials after a preliminary enquiry found "deficiencies that might have facilitated the escape" of the Islamist prisoners.
Lebanese security forces aborted Aug. 18 a massive attempt by a group of eight convicted Fatah Islam inmates to flee Roumieh prison. One prisoner managed to escape, only to be recaptured a day later.
Baroud had also ordered the Internal Security Forces (ISF) to sack 60 of its officers from jobs at the country”s 21 prisons and to move them to unrelated duties outside the prison system within 15 days.
Baroud, who had admitted that Lebanese prisons were understaffed and underequipped, said another 300 ISF members would be relocated to posts outside prisons within two months.