Lebanon may free Israeli arrested for spying

[NaDiNe]

Lebanon is likely to release an Israeli man arrested last week for alleged espionage and murder, due to the fact that the investigation has thus far failed to substantiate the allegations, the Lebanese paper Al-Akhbar reported yesterday.

A security source told the paper that the investigation has yet to reveal any evidence of security violations on Daniel Sharon's part, adding that Sharon has thus far confessed solely to the crime of having homosexual relations, including with two members of the Lebanese security forces.

The paper added that the two members of the security forces had also only admitted to having sexual relations with Sharon, a dual Israeli and German citizen.

Additional Lebanese are being questioned as a part of the investigation, one of whom has admitted to knowing that Sharon was an Israeli citizen. He also admitted to receiving money from Sharon in exchange for sex and other services.

The investigators were very impressed by Sharon's silence, and therefore conducted a blood test to determine whether he had taken any sedatives.


The daily star newspaper said :

Detained Israeli 'was here for gay sex, not espionage'

BEIRUT: An Israeli man arrested last week in Lebanon on suspicion of involvement in murder and espionage does not appear to be involved in spying, a Lebanese security official said on Monday. Daniel Sharon, a 32-year-old who holds German and Israeli citizenships, was arrested Thursday on tips from security and judicial authorities over his frequent visits to Lebanon using his German passport.

Israelis are not allowed to visit Lebanon because the two countries are technically at war, and authorities here turned Sharon over to military police for interrogation.

But the security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said interrogations have not shown that he is involved in security work or espionage. He said the investigation was ongoing to reveal the full aspects of the case.

Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said after a Cabinet meeting Monday that Sharon's arrest was an "achievement."

An Israeli government official has said that Sharon was not working with the Israeli authorities, and relatives and acquaintances said he converted to Islam years ago and was fascinated with the Arab world, particularly Lebanon.

Al-Akhbar, a local newspaper that first reported the arrest on Saturday, reported on Monday that authorities were inclined to deport him if he is not linked to espionage or the murder case.

The Lebanese security official said authorities would make "the appropriate decision" on what to do next based on interrogation results but would not elaborate.

He said questioning would continue, and a German official had arrived in Lebanon to follow up on the investigation regarding Sharon.

A German Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday that Germany is currently working to establish "consular contact" with Sharon and is in contact with Lebanese authorities.

Al-Akhbar has reported that Sharon was arrested Thursday after authorities in Beirut questioned a Lebanese security agent about the shooting death of the man's roommate.

The agent claimed to have been with a German friend, who was later identified as Sharon, at a Beirut hotel at the time of the killing.

When authorities questioned Sharon, they discovered he was an Israeli who spoke Arabic and who had repeatedly visited Lebanon.

Sharon told police his visits to Lebanon were for tourism and that he was a homosexual who had relationships with Lebanese men, according to the report.

Sharon's father, Moshe Sharon, told Israel's Army Radio on Sunday that his son had only good intentions.

Asked if Daniel was an Israeli spy, he said: "No, no, there is no chance. This boy doesn't even smoke, he doesn't drink, he's not a criminal." - Agencies