Lebanon's top Christian cleric said on Sunday the government should put an end to any meddling in the judiciary after the probe into last year's vast Beirut port blast was halted by the latest of a series of complaints against the lead investigator.
The investigation was frozen on Monday when a former minister wanted for questioning as a suspect filed a case questioning the judge's impartiality.
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, who has been sharply critical of Hezbollah, said in a Sunday sermon that political pressure on Bitar weakened the authority of the judiciary and could put international aid for Lebanon at risk. "It's true that the government should not interfere in the judiciary but it is it's duty to intervene to stop any meddling in the affairs of the judiciary," he added.
Bitar is the second judge whose investigation has been stymied by powerful factions in Lebanon, where a lack of high-level accountability are blamed for systemic corruption, governing gridlock and economic meltdown.