Tyre was named as the place of trial but the hearing was moved to the episcopal residence in Beirut to avoid disturbances. In response to the indictment, Ibas laid before his judges a memorial signed by many of his clergy, denying that he had ever uttered the alleged blasphemies. Only three witnesses supported the accusation, and brought forward a copy of the controversial letter to "Maris." It was later alleged by Ibas' enemies during the Second Council of Ephesus and the Council of Chalcedon that Ibas admitted to writing the Letter to Maris and that the minutes of the Council of Beirut were not forged. Justinian's assertion that Ibas had disowned the letter to Maris at Beirut, as having been forged in his name, is disputed by Facundus. Allegations of forgeries of the Council of Beirut's minutes lay bare that Ibas either did admit he wrote the letter and then reneged by having partisans falsify the aforementioned minutes, or that he denied writing the letter, forcing his accusers to falsify the said minutes in the same section.