Arrest Warrants Issued against Owners of Collapsed Ashrafiyeh Building

W300

Beirut Examining Magistrate Ghassan Owaidat issued on Monday two arrest warrants against Michel and Claude Saadeh, the owners of the Ashrafiyeh building that collapsed on January 15 and left 27 dead.

Owaidat first questioned Michel at around 11:00 am in the presence of his lawyer Rabih Abdul Sater, the National News Agency reported.

NNA said that he later interrogated Claude in the presence of the same attorney.

Last week, Beirut Prosecutor Judge George Karam filed charges of negligence against the suspects based on articles 564 and 565 of the criminal law.

The judge later referred them to Owaidat.

The building collapse in the area of Fassouh left 27 people dead, mostly foreigners, and 12 people injured.

SourceNaharnet
Comments 4
Default-user-icon march 11 (Guest) 12 years

CRAZY!! How is it their fault if the gouvernment allows people to stay in the building with the "old rent" scam? Are they supposed to pay costs to maintain a building for the benefit of tenants staying almost for free? The collapse is an unfortunate event. But These poor owners have nothing to do with this. The problem is because the government allows people to stay in buildings without paying the real rent value.

Default-user-icon nhadid (Guest) 12 years

Ignore deterioration signs? I think most ppl are merely grateful for shelter. Deterioration signs are overwhelming most buildings in Beirut, how is one to know when these signs are this severe? This is without the doubt the faults of the government and the stupid negligence of the owners that are in question; not the people.

Default-user-icon jaraj (Guest) 12 years

It is the government it self is the one to be blamed not the owners the parliament members too as they want to succeed in the elections on the account of the owners .They were supposed to establish a new rent law since more then 20 years ,but they kept the rent ammount as it was payed since more then 30 years the time when the us $ was =to 3LL .How the owner can do maintenance to his building now while the us $ =to 1500 LL .
so they can do nothing to themselves all what they can do is to blame the owners ,it is easy for them .

Default-user-icon Habib (Guest) 12 years

why not issue "charge of negligence againt the "City of Beirut" general Administrator, as well as the Minister of Public Work?
But I guess is easy to blame simple citizen!