NNA - Caretaker Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Judge Bassam Mawlawi, chaired on Tuesday an extraordinary meeting for the Central Security Council, in the presence of security and military services’ chiefs and brass, officials and administrators.

Following the meeting, Minister Mawlawi confirmed that “the murder of Pascal Suleiman was committed by Syrians,” indicating that “investigations began since the first moments and all the security and military services are coordinating their efforts,” noting that “the car used in the operation was stolen from Rabieh a few days ago.”

He stressed that "the country cannot tolerate more problems than it is facing, nor can it tolerate strife," calling for "prudence and reliance on the security services and the judiciary.” He emphasized the need for unveiling the complete threads of the crime and issuing a just decision against the perpetrators.

Mawlawi stated that “the background and the motive of the incident will be revealed by the investigation. The Lebanese must be patient,” stressing that “the investigations are being conducted in a transparent and professional manner.” The Minister also highlighted that the threads of the crime will be revealed as long as the perpetrators are apprehended. “Let us not compare Pascal Suleiman’s crime to others,” Mawlawi underlined.

The Minister also urged all citizens to "preserve the security of the country," revealing that "I called on the security forces to pay attention to sensitive areas in Lebanon, where security measures must be doubled."

He explained that "the Syrian presence is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated by Lebanon. We see that there are many crimes committed by Syrians." He said: "We emphasized to the security forces the need to strictly enforce Lebanese laws on displaced Syrians," revealing that "the percentage of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons almost  reached 35%." 

Mawlawi also noted that, “the referral of Pascal Suleiman’s case to the Judicial Council is a decision to be taken by the Council of Ministers in accordance with the norms, and the security forces are carrying out their duties despite challenges.”

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