BEIRUT: Al-Akhbar newspaper Monday apologized for a false report that Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi had channeled cash to Islamist militants holding Lebanese servicemen hostage in the outskirts of Arsal.
Al-Akhbar projected itself as a victim of “misperception,” which it said was the result of information obtained from political and military sources.
It backed down on its report published Saturday in which it said Rifi had used his bodyguard, Internal Security Forces member Deeb al-Laheeb, to transfer $280,000 to the kidnappers holding 27 Lebanese soldiers and policemen hostage on the Syria-Lebanon border.
“We would like to clarify that the person who was [recently] arrested with cash [headed to] to the [Arsal] occupation [force] was not Rifi’s bodyguard, and Laheed was not the driver who was tasked by Health Minister Wael Abu Faour in coordination with the prime minister and the heads of security agencies to transfer $280,000 to the soldiers’ captors last week,” Al-Akhbar said, while still indicating that the government was responsible for channeling cash to the kidnappers in an apparent effort to prevent the militants from carrying out their threat to kill one of the hostages.
“Al-Akhbar apologizes to ISF member Deeb al-Laheeb and declares its readiness to assume any liability resulting from what was published Saturday,” the paper said.
But Al-Akhbar was keen to show that its apology did not mean that Rifi was “innocent of any political or security sins.”
Rifi, it said, continues to incite sectarian strife, abuse his power, misuse public funds and protect criminals.
No comments:
Post a Comment