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After the explosion, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab stated it was “unacceptable” {that a} cargo of an estimated 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate was stored in a warehouse for six years. However, paperwork obtained by CNN present that members of the Lebanese authorities and judiciary had been apprised of huge portions of the harmful materials being stored there — and should have failed to safeguard it.
In 2013, a Russian-owned vessel, MV Rhosus, was detained in Beirut with a cargo of two,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate, which is utilized in industrial agriculture and mining. The cargo was stated to be destined for Mozambique, however the ship stopped in Beirut due to monetary difficulties.
Baroudi & Associates, who represented the Russian vessel’s crew, revealed a press release on Wednesday saying they despatched letters in July 2014 to officers at Beirut Port and the Ministry of Transportation “warning of the dangers of the materials carried on the ship.”
They state that in addition they obtained a letter that month “from the General Director of Land and Sea Transportation informing us that he sent official letters to the Justice Ministry asking them to do what’s necessary for the ship to avoid its sinking and expose the port to the danger of its load.”
“He also told us that he sent a letter to the naval authorities to do what’s needed to repair the ship and avoid its sinking,” the assertion wrote.
CNN has reached out to Lebanese Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Transportation and Beirut Port for remark however has obtained no response.
Despite warnings, the cargo remained at the port.
Repeated warnings
Customs authorities issued repeated notices to a decide about the harmful cargo, in accordance to paperwork seen by CNN. But the decide, who can’t be named for authorized causes, responded a number of occasions saying that the ship and its cargo won’t be inside the court docket’s jurisdiction, the paperwork present.
In 4 handwritten responses written in 2016 and 2017, the decide and their successor responded to letters from Lebanese customs officers saying that they wanted “to discuss to what extent the jurisdiction of the court” coated this matter.
Baroudi & Associates have additionally stated that the supposed vacation spot of the doubtlessly explosive cargo was Mozambique and that it was being shipped “per the order of International Bank of Mozambique for Fabrica De Explosives” when it was detained in Beirut.
The International Bank of Mozambique and Fábrica de Explosivos de Moçambique — a industrial mining firm in Mozambique — didn’t reply to a request for remark.
But the director of Beira Port in Mozambique, António Libombo, has denied data of the Russian vessel, in accordance to native Portuguese information outlet Lusa. “Usually, before we receive a ship, we are notified. In this case, we never receive any notification of a ship coming to Beira port with those characteristics and cargo,” Libombo reportedly informed Lusa.
The Mozambican Ministry of Transport and Communications additionally reportedly informed Lusa that they weren’t knowledgeable about the Russian vessel.
The chance that the blast may have been prevented has already ignited accusations of presidency negligence, rooted in long-held frustration at Lebanon’s political class.
The blast, which killed greater than 100 folks and wounded 1000’s, got here as Lebanon was already seeing rising unemployment, hovering costs and a forex in free fall. For many, the tragedy is additional proof of presidency ineptitude and corruption.
CNN’s Tara John, Tamara Qiblawi and Helen Regan contributed to this report.
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