BEIRUT, Lebanon, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Lebanon's prime minister met with officials with the tribunal probing the 2005 slaying of Rafik Hariri for the first time since June, his office confirmed.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati met in Beirut with authorities from the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, sources told the Daily Star newspaper. The unannounced meeting, later confirmed by his office, followed recent pledges made by Mikati to help pay for the tribunal's operations.
The STL is investigating the 2005 slaying of Rafik Hariri, a former prime minister. The tribunal in June released indictments against four members of Hezbollah in connection to the assassination.
Mikati came to power after Hezbollah helped bring down the government of Saad Hariri, the slain prime minister's son, in January. Seen as a close ally to the Shiite group, Mikati said he would back the tribunal's investigations.
The STL recently released detailed accounts of the four Hezbollah suspects after Beirut said it came up empty-handed when trying to arrest them.
Hezbollah said it doubts the credibility of much of the evidence used by the STL, adding it believes the investigation was part of an Israeli ploy to discredit the Shiite movement. Hezbollah holds two Cabinet seats in the Mikati government.
