Three sources reported that the Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh, was questioned in Beirut today, Thursday, with the participation of European investigators as part of inquiries into whether he embezzled large amounts of public funds. A judicial official stated that Salameh, 72, who will conclude his term this summer after 30 years at the helm of the Central Bank of Lebanon, underwent questioning for nearly six hours by a Lebanese judge who conveyed questions posed by French and German officials.
The official mentioned that Salameh answered "calmly" to inquiries related to Forry Associates, a company owned by his brother that received commissions from the central bank. European prosecutors, who have not yet issued formal charges, suspect that the central bank collected these commissions in the form of fees from bond buyers and then transferred the money to Forry.
According to the judicial official and another source familiar with the proceedings, Salameh attended today without a lawyer, and a second hearing is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday. Salameh and his brother Raja are under investigation in Lebanon and at least five European countries for allegations of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars over more than a decade and laundering money abroad. Both deny any wrongdoing. The Governor of the Central Bank asserts that the accusations are part of an attempt to make him a scapegoat and hold him responsible for the financial collapse the country has been suffering since 2019.
Raja is set to appear before a Lebanese judge tomorrow, Friday, in the presence of European investigators as well, but it is unclear whether his session will be postponed due to the ongoing hearing of his brother. A convoy of black cars was seen leaving the courthouse after today’s session. No protesters were observed, despite demonstrations outside the Central Bank in recent months against Salameh and his policies.
For decades, Salameh enjoyed strong support from Lebanon's political elite and business figures, as he provided financing for a state plagued by corruption and implemented policies that generated enormous profits for commercial banks. However, he faces increasing scrutiny since the financial crisis in 2019, which resulted from decades of waste, corruption, and unsustainable policies by senior officials.
The primary investigating judge in Beirut, Charbel Abu Samra, scheduled ten o'clock tomorrow, Friday, to continue the investigation with Salameh, who did not attend with a lawyer. Lebanon has also taken steps to freeze the brothers' assets as part of a separate investigation concerning Riad. Prosecutors in Germany stated last year that Salameh is a suspect in a case that led to the freezing of around 120 million euros (132 million dollars) of Lebanese assets abroad.
Political sources requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter indicated that Salameh's allies have considered him a burden and have begun distancing themselves from him as the investigations intensified.
