Prosecutors in Germany have stated that the Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh, is a suspect in a case that the European Union's judicial cooperation agency (Eurojust) reported on Monday has led to the freezing of Lebanese assets valued at 120 million euros (132 million dollars). The agency added in a statement that properties and bank accounts linked to five individuals suspected of embezzling around 330 million dollars and five million euros between 2002 and 2021 have been seized in France, Germany, Luxembourg, Monaco, and Belgium. The agency did not identify the suspects. An email from the Munich public prosecutor's office indicated that Eurojust's statement pertains to investigations involving Governor Salameh, whose wealth is under scrutiny in at least five European countries, and who was accused last week by a Lebanese judge of "ill-gotten gains." A Eurojust spokesperson declined to comment further and refused to disclose the names of the suspects in accordance with the agency's operating rules.
Reuters asked Salameh in a text message about the asset freezing and whether he is connected to it; he stated he was not aware of the matter but would investigate it. He has previously denied the allegations against him amid increasing scrutiny of his nearly three-decade tenure as the central bank's governor. A spokesperson for the central bank did not respond to a request for comment, and Salameh's lawyer has not yet responded to Reuters' emailed questions on Monday.
Eurojust has been involved in coordinating meetings between the countries investigating Salameh, who Swiss prosecutors suspect embezzled approximately 330 million dollars with his brother Raja, according to a letter sent by the Swiss prosecutor general to Lebanese officials last year, which Reuters has seen. Germany, France, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein are also investigating Salameh. A diplomat from one of the countries where assets were seized confirmed that this action is linked to investigations with Salameh and his brother.
The statement noted that the seized assets included properties in Hamburg and Munich totaling around 35 million euros, real estate complexes in Paris worth 16 million euros, and bank accounts in Monaco valued at 46 million euros. It added, "The suspects in the main investigation are presumed innocent until proven guilty according to the law." The case against Riad Salameh in Lebanon concerns the purchase and rental of apartments in Paris, some of which are for the central bank. Salameh denied the charges against him in Lebanon last week, telling Reuters that he ordered a review that showed public funds are not the source of his wealth. His brother Raja has been arrested for the same charge for over a week. Raja Salameh's lawyer described the charges against his client as baseless.
Riad Salameh has previously accused Judge Ghada Aoun, who filed the charges against him and his brother, of politicizing the cases. The judge has received public support from President Michel Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement he founded, which has called for Salameh's ouster. Salameh still enjoys the support of some of the most powerful figures, including Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who invited Salameh to attend a cabinet session on Wednesday, widely viewed as a sign of support. This session comes a day before a scheduled meeting with the investigating judge regarding the charges of ill-gotten gains made against him by Ghada Aoun.
