Lebanon TV on trial
The owner and chairman of a Lebanese TV station was released a day after being arrested on charges of collaborating with Israel. Mohalhel Fakih reports from Beirut
Minutes after his release on Sunday, Tahsin Khayat, owner and chairman of the Lebanese New TV (NTV), told journalists that "the quickest" trial in Lebanon's history had been "concluded" and he was a free man. Khayat, however, remains under investigation.
Khayat was arrested on Saturday on charges of forging links with Israel and "slandering" friendly nations. Analysts and the Lebanese press poured scorn over the incident and questioned its timing.
Khayat was defiant after emerging from the Defence Ministry escorted by former Prime Minister Omar Karameh. "All the allegations were untrue," the NTV owner said, telling journalists that "it was the quickest accusation and quickest attestation of innocence in the history of Lebanon's judiciary." He said the case was closed, and that NTV would continue to report on controversial Lebanese and Arab news stories, while pursuing its "defence" of the Palestinian and Arab causes.
Officials did not explain why Khayat was arrested, nor did they provide evidence supporting the charges against him. The arrest of a private television channel owner is unprecedented, but allegations of dealing with Israel, with which Lebanon is still technically at war, is among the most serious of crimes in Lebanon.
Khayat strongly denied any links with Israel, describing the charges as "silly" and untrue. He blamed his arrest on "pressure", which he said is being exerted on freedoms that his station "has always practiced".
Tallal Salman, editor-in-chief of As- Safir, in a hard-hitting editorial, lashed out at the judiciary for rushing to arrest Khayat without providing clear evidence linking him with Israel. He described the move as "dangerous", saying it "tarnished" the judiciary's image.
Khayat's station, which is strongly opposed to Prime Minister Rafik Hariri but is seen to be close to President Emile Lahoud, was involved in a number of high- profile spats with the authorities. In January, the government took NTV off the air for three days and banned it from broadcasting a programme which was critical of US military bases in Saudi Arabia.
Khayat's arrest might also be linked to the station's reporting on a developing financial scandal involving the Al-Madina Bank. Prosecutor-General Adnan Addoum categorically denied the claim that Khayat's arrest followed the station's unrelenting reporting on a money- laundering investigation at the bank. Immediately following his arrest, an NTV anchor said that, "the aim of the allegations was to intimidate NTV and put a stop to investigations on issues [such as the scandal at the] Al-Madina Bank."
Former Prime Minister Salim Al-Hoss was among the first people to defend Khayat. He described the station's chairman as patriotic and said NTV was determined to investigate "recent front-page news stories", in reference to the Al- Madina case.
Last week, NTV interviewed one of the directors at Al-Madina, Rana Koleilat, who said she was preparing to blow the whistle on "people in high places". The list of charges against the bank is a long one. As well as laundering money, the bank also stands accused of issuing cheques with insufficient funds.
The case turned into a daily drama, implicating public figures and business tycoons. An NTV report said it broadcast a telephone conversation between Koleilat and the son of bank shareholder and owner Ibrahim Ayyash, during which she was offered $20 million in return for dropping the charges against him. The report also maintained that Khayat received threats shortly before his arrest. No further details were given.
Following Khayat's arrest, several newspapers in Beirut claimed he had been forging links with Israeli officials in Qatar. They did not provide any details. Khayat himself told journalists on Sunday night that interrogators had hinted at his ties with Qatar.
