Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram's husband indicted for murder

A Lebanese judge has charged popular Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram's husband with the ‘deliberate murder’ of a man who was allegedly trying to rob their house in Beirut in January.

Judge Nicolas Mansour on Tuesday issued a sentence charging Fadi Al-Hashem with the ‘deliberate murder’ of the young Syrian man who broke into their villa.

If the sentence is passed, it could put Al-Hashem behind bars for 20 years, according to his lawyer.

Al-Hashem, a celebrity, has claimed that the assailant was threatening his family – including his children aged 10, eight and one, who were asleep during the ordeal.

The judge has said that if Al-Hashem could prove that he acted in self-defence, then the charge of murder could be dropped.

The sentence can, however, be reviewed and Al-Hashem could be pardoned from imprisonment if his appeal is accepted by the court, as reported in an Arabic daily.

Earlier, Ajram had released a documentary, The Full Story, that detailed the story of the burglary that occurred at Ajram’s home and featured footages of the theft.

According to an earlier report, forensic experts in Lebanon had revealed that the burglar was shot with 17 bullets, but Lebanese newspapers said the thief was also carrying a pistol, which was found to be fake.

Syrian media outlets, however, have claimed that the deceased thief was a gardener who used to work in Ajram’s villa and he had come to her place to collect his salary, but Al-Hashem’s brother has denied the claims.