Lebanese ex-minister asks that port blast judge be replaced

By BASSEM MROUE
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s state news agency says a former government minister has asked the country’s top court to remove the lead judge investigating last year’s massive port explosion in Beirut, alleging what the former official calls “legitimate suspicion.” Wednesday’s move by the former public works minister comes a week after the judge issued an arrest warrant for him after he failed to appear in court for questioning. The judge has charged the minister and three other former senior government officials with intentional killing and negligence that led to the deaths of more than 200 people in the explosion. Over 6,000 were injured.