Lebanon’s former prime minister, Hassan Diab, fled the country for the US days prior he was scheduled to appear in front of the inquisitorial team for the investigation into the Beirut port blast.
Diab has left the country by plane on a planned trip to see his two sons who are studying medicine in America. He will be unable to appear for questioning despite having been summoned by Judge Tarek Bitar to a hearing scheduled for Monday next week.
Diab has previously said he intended to travel after a definitive government was formed in the crisis-hit country.
He earlier failed to appear for questioning when summoned on August 26, prompting Bitar to issue an “enforceable summons” for him to appear next Monday.
In December, Diab was charged, alongside three other former ministers, with negligence in connection to the explosion at the Port of Beirut on August 5, 2020, in which more than 200 people were killed.
He resigned as prime minister, alongside his cabinet, shortly after, resulting in a 13-month political crisis.
Last week two-time PM Najib Mikati finally managed to reach an agreement with President Michel Aoun on a new government line-up.
