After more than a month and a half in detention, the former Governor of Lebanon's Central Bank, Riad Salameh, who was arrested on July 31, 2026, by the Attorney General, has sought release from First Investigative Judge in Beirut, President Rola Othman. His attorney, Wasim Ghawi, has submitted a request based on legal justifications, material facts, and health concerns.
The request contends that "contrary to the charges brought against Mr. Riad Salameh for embezzlement of Central Bank funds, the complainant, namely the Central Bank itself, explicitly confirmed that the loan granted to Bank Audi in 2010, as decided by the Central Council and not by the Governor personally, was fully repaid in 2012 with a 5% interest, amounting to $33 million. Additionally, the second loan granted in 2014 was also fully repaid in 2016, with a 6.5% interest.
This confirmation is critically important, as it comes from the party that filed the complaint, i.e., the Central Bank, denying any alleged damage, casting serious doubt on the embezzlement claims upon which the charges were based, as it was confirmed by the Central Bank that the funds returned with profits.
Salameh's attorney also noted that the investigating judge, who questioned him on August 12, 2026, issued a detention order without clarifying the factual and material reasons for the decision, and without adhering to the minimum conditions for preventive detention as required by Article 107 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Furthermore, the plea for release leans on the severe health condition supported by reports from his treating doctors and court-appointed forensic doctors, confirming the critical health risks posed by ongoing detention to his life and physical safety.
The petition concluded by stating that in the absence of financial damage as confirmed by the complainant, the Central Bank, there is no justification for Mr. Salameh's detention, especially considering his delicate health status. It highlights the lack of legal and factual grounds for continued preventive detention, making his detention disproportionate to the legal purpose it serves, effectively turning it into a preemptive punishment invalidated by the case's facts. Thus, Mr. Salameh seeks only the protection of his right from the judge by addressing the gross violations of Article 107 of the Criminal Procedure Code and applying Article 111, consequently asking the court to release him.