Ready to answer questions on deadly Beirut blast, says Aoun

No one is above the law no mater how high up, and justice can only be achieved through the specialised judicial branches that provide guarantees, says Lebanon president

Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun told the country’s public prosecutor on Friday he was ready to give a statement about last year’s port blast in the capital Beirut if needed.

“No one is above the law no matter how high up, and justice can only be achieved through the specialised judicial branches that provide guarantees,” Aoun told prosecutor Ghassan Ouidat during a meeting, according to a statement released by the president’s office.

The Aug.4 explosion at the port, caused by a huge quantity of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely for years, killed over 200 people, injured thousands and destroyed large swathes of the capital.

A probe into the blast led by judge Tarek Bitar has been hindered over the past month as requests sent to parliament and the government to lit immunity and enable questioning of several top officials were either declined or stalled.

Many Lebanese are angry that nearly a year after the incident, no senior official has yet been held responsible.