The file of one of the judges has entered a new phase, after a long course of investigations that led to a decision by Minister of Justice Adel Nassar to suspend him from work, in a case surrounded by suspicions of corruption, the threads of which began to unfold about two months ago, and were therefore not the result of recent days.
According to “Lebanon Debate” information, the file was launched following a complaint submitted by a judge before the judicial inspection, after he had information related to another judge’s request for sums of money from lawyers in exchange for interference in judicial files.
The information reveals that the complaint was based on data from 3 lawyers regarding similar accusations related to this judge in particular, including a female lawyer who recorded a conversation between her and him, before the recording was placed at the disposal of the competent judicial authorities.
According to the data, the judge resorted to requesting additional sums from the lawyers under the pretext that he was “arranging the situation” with the other judges who make up the judicial body concerned with the file.
As a result of these data, the Judicial Inspection opened the file and recommended taking action against the judge, about two months ago, before the process finally reached the stage of suspending him from work and referring his file to the Supreme Judicial Authority for discipline.
The information indicates that the recordings in the file constituted an essential element in the course of the investigation and audit, as the file specifically revolves around suspicions related to requesting money in exchange for influencing the course of judicial files and rulings.
Therefore, Minister Nassar’s recent decision was not a spur of the moment, but rather came as the culmination of a process that began about two months ago, with the filing of the complaint and the start of collecting statements and recordings and examining the facts presented before the competent authorities.
The issue acquires special sensitivity within the judicial body, given that what is at hand is not related to a dispute over jurisprudence or a judicial decision, but rather to allegations that directly affect the integrity and independence of judicial work.
The decision remains with the Supreme Judicial Authority for Disciplinary, which will study the file, evidence and data placed before it, and determine disciplinary responsibility and what may result from it.
