Sep 22, 2007, 13:24 GMT
Beirut - German-Israeli Daniel Sharon was arrested in Lebanon on charges of espionage, a Lebanese judicial source told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa Saturday.
'His conflicting testimonies led the authorities to arrest him, and further investigations are underway in a murder case and espionage,' the source said.
Lebanon's General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza said investigations were underway into how the story was leaked to the press.
According to Lebanese police sources, the whole story started when police in the Merje area, a hotbed of the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement in Beirut's southern suburbs, were investigating the killing of Moussa al-Shalaani.
'The man was killed with a gun that belonged to a Lebanese policeman, and further investigation (showed) that a German friend was with him at the time of death,' a Lebanese security source said.
According to police reports, Sharon was staying at a hotel in Beirut's luxurious Verdun neighbourhood. He has visited Lebanon 11 times since 2005.
'He is denying charges of espionage and insists that he is gay and he likes to have sexual relations with Lebanese men and that is why his visits to Lebanon were frequent,' the source said.
'But further investigations into the case showed that Sharon had a friend in the Lebanese security offices who used to facilitate his entries to Lebanon and with the help of a hotel clerk he managed to hide his real name,' the source said.
According to the source, Sharon was arrested Thursday night as he was heading to the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Beirut. He was scheduled to leave the same night.
Sources at the German embassy in Beirut confirmed on Saturday that a man by the name of Daniel Sharon who also holds a German passport was arrested, but refused to give details.
According to the source, Sharon is still denying allegations he was on an espionage mission and insisted he is coming for 'touristic and sexual reasons.'
'But during the questioning during which Sharon remained very calm, the police saw that Sharon can speak Arabic and had learned it in the United Arab Emirates,' the source said.
'His conflicting testimonies led the authorities to arrest him, and further investigations are underway in a murder case and espionage,' the source said.
Lebanon's General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza said investigations were underway into how the story was leaked to the press.
According to Lebanese police sources, the whole story started when police in the Merje area, a hotbed of the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement in Beirut's southern suburbs, were investigating the killing of Moussa al-Shalaani.
'The man was killed with a gun that belonged to a Lebanese policeman, and further investigation (showed) that a German friend was with him at the time of death,' a Lebanese security source said.
According to police reports, Sharon was staying at a hotel in Beirut's luxurious Verdun neighbourhood. He has visited Lebanon 11 times since 2005.
'He is denying charges of espionage and insists that he is gay and he likes to have sexual relations with Lebanese men and that is why his visits to Lebanon were frequent,' the source said.
'But further investigations into the case showed that Sharon had a friend in the Lebanese security offices who used to facilitate his entries to Lebanon and with the help of a hotel clerk he managed to hide his real name,' the source said.
According to the source, Sharon was arrested Thursday night as he was heading to the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Beirut. He was scheduled to leave the same night.
Sources at the German embassy in Beirut confirmed on Saturday that a man by the name of Daniel Sharon who also holds a German passport was arrested, but refused to give details.
According to the source, Sharon is still denying allegations he was on an espionage mission and insisted he is coming for 'touristic and sexual reasons.'
'But during the questioning during which Sharon remained very calm, the police saw that Sharon can speak Arabic and had learned it in the United Arab Emirates,' the source said.
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