Salameh Detained as Ghada Aoun Seeks to Question Him

On Wednesday, State Prosecutor Judge Jamal al-Hajjar transferred the case of the former Central Bank governor, Riad Salameh, to Financial Prosecutor Judge Ali Ibrahim. Ibrahim subsequently charged Salameh and sent him, in custody, to Beirut First Examining Magistrate Bilal Halawi. According to sources from al-Jadeed TV, Halawi will either issue an arrest warrant or release Salameh on bail, with an arrest appearing to be the more probable outcome.

Meanwhile, a judicial source told Al-Arabiya TV that Salameh will remain in custody until his trial next week. Three judicial officials also confirmed to The Associated Press that Salameh is facing charges of embezzling $42 million. During a lengthy interrogation on Monday, Salameh was questioned about a case involving a company allegedly hired to manipulate financial statements and obscure Lebanon’s financial crisis.

According to two other judicial officials, Salameh allegedly brought in a company named Optimum to assist in siphoning money from the Central Bank through various accounts, ultimately benefiting his own. The Central Bank’s financial intelligence unit provided relevant bank statements and financial documents to the public prosecution as evidence.

The Central Bank declined to comment on the case when approached by the Associated Press. Meanwhile, Mount Lebanon Prosecutor Judge Ghada Aoun praised Salameh’s arrest, calling it a “historic event” but emphasized that it should only be the beginning of a serious effort to combat corruption in Lebanon. Aoun highlighted that Mount Lebanon’s prosecution had previously issued multiple subpoenas for Salameh concerning $9 billion in loans, but enforcement had been delayed. She urged the authorities to act now that Salameh is in custody and raised concerns about additional unresolved cases involving $100 million and $8 billion in commissions tied to the Optimum file.

Aoun expressed her willingness to question Salameh directly if security concerns arise, stating, “I hope justice will prevail and that there are good intentions.”

Salameh, who completed his 30-year term as Central Bank governor last year, is under investigation for various financial crimes both locally and internationally. His tenure ended amid widespread criticism, with many in Lebanon blaming him for the country’s severe financial crisis that began in 2019. Initially appointed in 1993, Salameh was praised for steering Lebanon’s post-civil war recovery and maintaining stability during political unrest.

Salameh has consistently denied any accusations of corruption, embezzlement, or illicit enrichment, maintaining that his wealth stems from inheritance, investments, and his previous role as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Despite his denials, Salameh faces multiple cases both within Lebanon and abroad. France, Germany, and Luxembourg are investigating him and his associates for alleged money laundering and illicit enrichment involving $330 million.

Salameh has dismissed these investigations as part of a media and political campaign against him. Additionally, he and his associates have been sanctioned by the U.S., U.K., and Canada, and France has issued an international arrest warrant. However, Lebanon does not extradite its own citizens.

Currently, Lebanon has yet to appoint a new Central Bank governor. Wassim Mansouri, a vice governor, has stepped in as acting governor, while the country has been without a president for nearly two years, leaving it under the administration of a caretaker government with limited powers.