Lebanese bank officer charged with collaboration

Published today (updated) 03/04/2010 13:01

Bethlehem – Ma'an/Agencies –

Lebanon has detained a high-profile bank officer on the charge of collaboration with Israel, the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar reported Saturday.

"Munir S was on his way to work at the main branch of the Lebanese Canadian Bank in the Burj Hammoud neighborhood of Beirut when gunmen ambushed and hand-cuffed him, taking him to an unknown destination. The bank administration telephoned Internal Security, which denied any knowledge of the incident," Al-Akhbar reported.

Lebanese politicians identified as bank stockholders intervened and contacted Lebanese Security Services and were informed that Diba had been detained on suspicion of collaboration with Israeli intelligence.

According to Al-Akhbar, quoting security sources, the suspect admitted he was recruited by Israeli intelligence in 2005. However, the report asserted that until Friday, Lebanon had refused to reveal details about the case.

In late March, Lebanon detained four heads of Israeli Mossad cells. The alleged Israeli agents were said to have admitted under interrogation that they were recruited in European countries, and were on a military base surveillance mission in the northern and southern areas of Lebanon, as well as Beirut.

The suspects allegedly told interrogators they possessed sophisticated equipment, including LCD TVs able to transmit information by satellite, according to the reports. The arrests were reportedly being treated as confidential to prevent other Israeli cells from leaving Lebanon following the discovery.