VIENNA, Dec. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- UN investigators finished questioning five Syrian intelligence officials here Wednesday on the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the Austrian Press Agency (APA) reported.

    The APA quoted diplomats in Vienna as saying that the questioning was done in secret.

    Syria's former intelligence chief in Lebanon, Lt. Gen. Rustom Ghazali, and his deputy Jamea Jamea testified at UN offices in Vienna on Monday and had returned home. The remaining three will also leave soon.

    The pan-Arab al-Hayat newspaper reported that Monday's hearing srelated to the nature of the Syrian officials' duties in Lebanon before Hariri's murder and to recorded statements of phone conversations between Ghazali and Lebanese political figures.

    The UN investigation commission, led by German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis, issued an interim report last month that implicated Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the killing of Hariri in a massive car bombing in Beirut on Feb. 14.

    The UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1636 on Oct. 31, demanding Syria's full cooperation with the UN investigation. Otherwise, it will face "further action."

    Syria has consistently denied any involvement in Hariri's death, but pledged cooperation in the case.

    After weeks of deadlock over the venue for questioning Syrian officials suspected of involvement in Hariri's killing, Syria and the UN commission agreed to quiz five of them at UN offices in Vienna on Monday and Wednesday. Enditem