Beirut: Justice Minister, Adel Nassar, on Wednesday said his objection to the appointment of Gracia Al-Qazzi as Director General of Customs was based on the timing of the decision amid ongoing sensitive judicial files, notably the Beirut port blast investigation, and not on any personal or legal grounds.
According to National News Agency – Lebanon, in an interview on Hiwarat Al-Serail on T©l© Liban, Nassar stressed the presumption of innocence and reaffirmed the full independence of the judiciary from executive authority. He noted that the Cabinet deemed the appointment legally permissible, while his position reflected concerns over appropriateness rather than legality.
Nassar underlined that state-building requires exclusive control of force by official institutions and equality before the law, including confronting illegal weapons. He highlighted reforms strengthening judicial independence, efforts to speed up trials-raising session attendance from 33% to 88%, and continued support for Judge Tarek Bitar in the port case.
Moreover, the Minister confirmed progress in ainternational judicial cooperation, rejected political protection for anyone, and reiterated commitment to holding elections on time and enabling full voting rights for Lebanese expatriates.