Lebanon arrests ex-Central Bank chief Riad Salameh on embezzlement charges
The former governor was placed under arrest after lengthy interrogation over his alleged involvement in the embezzlement of more than $40 million.
BEIRUT — Lebanon’s former central bank governor, Riad Salameh, was arrested Tuesday in Beirut following a judicial hearing. He is facing allegations of illegal enrichment and money laundering, both domestically and abroad.
Acting Cassation Public Prosecutor Jamal al-Hajjar questioned Salameh at the Justice Palace earlier on Tuesday in a domestic probe into alleged financial crimes. Local media reported his arrest by mid-afternoon local time on Monday, citing a judicial source.
A senior judicial source told Agence France-Presse that Salameh was interrogated for more than three hours over his alleged involvement in the embezzlement of more than $40 million from the Central Bank during his 30-year tenure.
The local judiciary has been investigating several key figures in Lebanon since the economic meltdown in 2019. The former governor, who had held his position since 1993, is widely blamed for the crisis and the collapse of the local currency, which lost more than 90% of its value in the past five years.
He is the subject of several probes at home and abroad for his alleged role in the embezzlement of public funds, money laundering, forgery, illicit enrichment and tax evasion among other financial crimes.
At least six European countries are investigating Salameh for allegedly embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars through Forry Associates, a company owned and run by his brother Raja Salameh. In March 2022, France, Germany and Luxembourg seized assets worth 120 million euros ($135 million) following an investigation into five people, including Salameh, suspected of embezzling some $335 million between 2002 and 2021.
In May last year, Interpol issued a red notice against Salameh pursuant to arrest warrants issued by France and Germany.
In Lebanon, Salameh has rarely appeared at judicial hearings. The last questioning he attended was in July 2023, just a few days before his tenure at the helm of the Central Bank ended. At the time, the judge questioning him decided to continue the probe. Another judge ordered Salameh’s assets in Lebanon frozen.
