It’s risky to use them, says minister after murder
A LEBANESE minister yesterday warned against taking ‘risky’ Ubers after one of the firm’s drivers was accused of murdering a British diplomat.
Nohad Machnouk urged passengers to stick to ‘safer’ taxi firms, following the news that Rebecca Dykes, 30, was sexually assaulted and strangled after taking an Uber home from a bar in Beirut.
The Interior Minister said that unlike traditional taxi services, Uber was a ‘virtual’ entity. ‘I urge all Lebanese not to use this means [of transport] because we don’t consider it safe,’ he said. ‘Dealing with Uber is risky and it is better we return to traditional ways.’
Mr Machnouk said the driver had a criminal record, which should have raised alarm bells for anyone hiring him. After he spoke, a leaked version of a criminal records check on the suspect appeared to show he had no previous convictions. However, under Lebanese law, convictions can be deemed spent relatively quickly. Security sources said the driver had in fact been arrested for drugs offences, and local media reported that he was jailed for six months a decade ago for stealing a motorcycle.
Uber said drivers that use the app in Lebanon are fully licensed by the government and must have a clear judicial record. The suspect is understood to have passed this screening – but one legal expert told Lebanese media that crimes less severe than murder can be erased after three years.