March 17, 2009 - The Daily Star - Baroud says his silence on Sader abduction aims to protect integrity of case

Daily Star staff

BEIRUT: Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud said on Monday that he had abstained from commenting on the investigation into the abduction of Middle East Airlines (MEA) employee Joseph Sader to protect the integrity of the case. Fifty-year-old Sader worked as an Information Technology expert for MEA and was abducted on February 12 on his way into work at Beirut International Airport, allegedly by three unidentified assailants who bundled him into a sport utility vehicle.
Speaking to An-Nahar newspaper, Baroud said his ministry, along with the Internal Security Forces, was heavily criticized for declining to comment on Sader's disappearance, but had remained silent in order to ensure the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
"I can't hold a press conference to talk about the issue because I want to protect Sader, since we don't know where he is," said Baroud, adding he was in contact with Sader's family. "If we had enough evidence we would work to ensure Sader's release," said Baroud, who declined to comment further in order to prevent the publication of false information.
"I don't think the rumors traded in the media have been beneficial," he said.
It is not yet clear what motive prompted his kidnappers to abduct Sader, described by family and friends as apolitical, but Baroud told An-Nahar the MEA official's disappearance was not necessarily linked to Lebanon's June elections. Shortly after his abduction, An-Nahar quoted high-ranking security sources as saying that a "certain influential party" had handed Sader over to army intelligence. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) swiftly denied the report.
Elaborating on the June polls, Baroud said all administrative and judicial preparations were now complete, and that 30,000 security officials - 15,000 from the Internal Security Forces and 15,000 from the LAF - would be deployed to ensure security during the election period. All polling stations would be ready by the end of March and 11,500 election employees would vote two days ahead of the elections, the Interior Minister said.
More than 100,000 identity cards had been issued, Baroud said, noting that the production of the cards had been increased from 3,000 to 7,000 cards daily. The identity cards will replace the electoral cards used in previous elections.
Baroud meanwhile emphasized his determination to stand "at equal distance from all of the candidates" and said he undertook all duties in accordance with "the trust the President [Michel Sleiman] gave me." - The Daily Star