"Future" Official & Deputy Head of the Saadnayel Municipality Arrested for Collaborating with "Israel"

Source: almanar.com.lb, 16-5-2009
Hanan Awarekeh
Lebanese security sources revealed on Saturday to Al-Manar Channel that Ziad al-Homsy, the the regional media officer for the Future movement electoral campaign in the Central Bekaa and deputy head of the Saadnayel Municipality, has confessed of collaborating with "Israeli" enemy after the army intelligence broke in to his home and found advanced equipments there.

The sources added that within the spy networks arrested during the last month, there were more than evident that lead to Homsy's involvement.

Meanwhile, informed political sources stressed that official connection took place with some high-level parties' sides including the head of the Future Movement MP Saad Hariri to inform them of the reasons and information that led to the arrest of Homsy and advised them to call on their supporters to withdraw from the highway after they have blocked it in protest of the arrest.

The sources confirmed that the case was linked to sensitive security issues, noting that other arrests have taken place in other regions, however they were not faced with such reactions. In contrary, the sources continued, the residents of those areas have shown full support for the Lebanese army since it is practicing its duty in protecting the country's security.

The Lebanese army issued a statement on Saturday saying that a number of the citizens from Saadnayel - Bekaa tried to cut off the Zahle-Chtoura main road in protest on Saturday morning after a Lebanese Armed Forces unit arrested al-Homsy in Saadnayel.

The statement added that the situation calmed down soon after the citizens understood the man was arrested as part of an investigation into a security issue.

FUTURE MOVEMENT DENIES ANY ORGANIZATIONAL ROLE FOR HOMSI

For its part, the coordination unit of the Future Movement released a statement Saturday saying that Ziad al-Homsy has no organizational role in the movement.

"Some media said that Homsy is the regional media officer for the Future movement electoral campaign. The truth is that he is the publisher of one of the local magazines, and he contacts all the electoral campaign offices in his region," the statement said.

The Future Movement statement urged all political forces and citizens to "support the security services that have made remarkable achievements recently." The statement also asked everyone to suspend judgment of the suspect until he is tried in the judicial system.