In a shocking incident that has sent ripples of outrage throughout the Metn district, Nicolas Samaha, a member of the Bologna Municipal Council, was kidnapped on August 20 in front of his 4-year-old daughter. The kidnappers forced Samaha to retract his resignation from the council by taking him to a notary public and threatening his life.

The operation was allegedly overseen by the mayor, identified as G.K., whom Samaha recognized by voice.

According to a report aired by MTV channel, the kidnapping took place in broad daylight and was orchestrated by individuals closely associated with former minister Elias Murr and his son, MP Michel Murr. The mayor of Bologna, identified only as G.K., is alleged to have supervised the abduction, which involved three other individuals.

The motive behind the kidnapping was to prevent the dissolution of the Bologna Municipal Council, which Samaha’s resignation had put at risk. The council’s collapse would have significant political implications, and it appears that extreme measures were taken to maintain the current structure.

The kidnappers reportedly took Samaha to the office of a notary public in Bourj Hammoud, where he was coerced into signing a document retracting his resignation. Despite not having any identification documents with him, the notary public allegedly ignored this irregularity and proceeded with the kidnappers' demands. A lawyer linked to the Murr family was reportedly present during the signing, further raising concerns about the legality and ethicality of the entire process.

Samaha was forced to comply with the kidnappers' demands under the threat of being killed or having his daughter harmed. However, the Governor of Mount Lebanon refused to accept the retraction of Samaha’s resignation, prompting Murr’s newspaper, Al-Joumhouria, to launch a scathing attack on the governor in recent days.

Following his release, Samaha revealed that he had met with Elias Murr and his son, who assured him that the incident would not be repeated and that he and his family would no longer be subjected to such threats.

The meeting came after legal and public pressure forced the perpetrators to reconsider their actions.