_News_ | *Defendants cooperate with interrogation sessions: Bitar resumes Beirut port blast investigation* 👇 The lead investigative judge in the Beirut Port explosion case, Judge Tarek Bitar, resumed interrogation sessions for newly accused defendants today. All of them complied with the summonses except for Volodymyr Verbonol, the owner of Savaro Ltd., who had been notified by public posting. The defendants’ cooperation with Bitar reaffirms the legitimacy of his work and his serious resumption of the investigation: Any individual who fails to appear will be deemed to be obstructing the investigation and evading justice. Regarding the sessions, Megaphone learned that port employee Rabih Srour appeared before Bitar and was questioned for over an hour. Welding contractor Salim Shibli also testified, repeating the same statement he had previously given during the investigation. Those absent with justification included: Mohammad Qassabiyeh, who submitted a medical excuse; Marwan Kaaki, who raised preliminary objections but committed to appearing before Bitar on February 21; and Moussa Hazimeh, the former acting director of Beirut Customs, whose lawyer provided a travel excuse and pledged Hazimeh’s appearance before the judge in March. Bitar is set to question customs officials next Tuesday, February 11. The interrogation sessions will continue until the end of February, with additional hearings planned for other defendants in March and April. Bitar resumed his investigation despite the lack of cooperation from Public Prosecutor Judge Jamal Hajjjar, who has not reversed the effects of the judicial coup against Bitar initiated by his predecessor, Judge Ghassan Oueidat, himself a defendant in the case.