Prosecutor charges 9 people over archdiocese heist
By Youssef Diab
The Daily Star
1/12/2011
BEIRUT: A total of nine people, including three men who were taken into custody last week, were formally charged Wednesday with robbing and vandalizing the Greek Orthodox archdiocese two weeks ago, as well as selling some of the stolen items. Beirut Public Prosecutor George Karam charged the three detained men, Mohammad Merhi, Issa Merehbi and Charbel Mrad, with looting and vandalizing the archdiocese.
Karam also charged Ali Awada, Nadia Riqqa, aka Nadia Kalakesh, Mohammad Wehbeh and Issa Khatib, along with two Syrian nationals, Manal Abu Nabout and Wissam Jarrah, of being involved in the crime.
According to the charges, Merhi, Merehbi and Mrad formed an armed gang with the aim of engaging in theft and mugging.
The three men broke into the archdiocese in Ashrafieh on the night of Nov. 15 and stole items from inside the church, the charge said, adding that they were in possession of knives and an unlicensed gun.
Abu Nabout became an accomplice in the crime after agreeing to help the thieves hide the stolen items, according to the charge, while Awada, Riqqa, and Jarrah allegedly made an agreement with the thieves to sell the stolen items inside the country and abroad.
As for Wehbeh and Khatib, they each allegedly made agreements with those who executed the crime to buy some of the gold items, despite that their knowledge that they were stolen.
Karam referred the case to Beirut Investigative Judge Ghassan Oweidat and asked him to issue arrest warrants for the three men who are currently detained as well as the six accomplices.
Karam also asked Oweidat to notify the Lebanese customs authorities and the police to keep a look out for the rest of the stolen items to stop them being smuggled abroad.
