Lebanon has indicted former central bank Governor Riad Salameh and a former commercial banker over accusations of financial crimes, including embezzlement and illicit enrichment. According to officials, the indictment alleges that Salameh and Samir Hanna, the former head of Lebanon’s Bank Audi, embezzled tens of millions in funds from the Banque du Liban, the country’s central bank.
Salameh, who headed the central bank for three decades, has denied any wrongdoing, insisting he is being made a scapegoat for the country’s economic crisis. This is not the first time he has faced accusations of financial crimes – he was previously indicted and arrested in Lebanon over other alleged crimes committed during his tenure.
The latest indictment marks the first time a commercial banker has been implicated in a financial crimes case related to Salameh, indicating that Lebanese investigations into the former governor are expanding to the private sector. The case against Hanna, 88, includes accusations that he bribed Salameh while he was central bank governor. Hanna paid a $1m bail and is not in custody as financial investigations continue.
Investigations Ongoing
Salameh, 76, is currently under medical supervision at a government hospital outside Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, after being placed in custody last month. He was released from detention in September after paying a record bail of more than $14m. The former central bank governor also faces investigations abroad, including in France, Switzerland, and Germany.
In January, Lebanon’s current central bank governor, Karim Souaid, announced that the central bank had filed a criminal complaint against an unnamed former official of the central bank, a former banker, and a lawyer over alleged illicit enrichment through misuse of public funds. The operations were allegedly carried out through four offshore shell companies in the Cayman Islands.
