Lebanon has filed a new indictment against former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh on charges including embezzlement, illicit enrichment, money laundering and bribery, following a complaint filed by his successor.
Salameh was taken into custody late last month after missing a court hearing related to the case, and is currently being held under tight security in a state hospital outside Beirut.
A judge has initiated legal proceedings against Salameh and the former CEO of Bank Audi, Samir Hanna, according to a judicial official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity. Bank Audi is one of Lebanon's leading commercial banks.
The charges include “creating shell companies, embezzling central bank funds and using these funds to illegally purchase shares and bonds from commercial banks, as well as illicit enrichment, money laundering and bribery.”
The judge has ordered an arrest warrant for Salameh, 76, while the prosecution is expected to consult after Hanna is questioned. The latter had recently posted a $1 million bail for his release. The case has been referred to another judge for further investigation and legal proceedings.
In January, the new governor of the Central Bank, Karim Soueid, announced that he had filed a criminal complaint in Lebanon against Salameh and Hanna, without identifying them by name at the time, on charges related to embezzlement, illicit enrichment, and suspected money laundering.
Following this, Bank Audi announced Hanna's resignation, after more than six decades of service.
The Central Bank had told AFP that it was "the victim of embezzlement of funds worth several hundred million euros, carried out to its detriment by the former governor... with the help of several people from his circle."
Salameh led the Central Bank of Lebanon from 1993 to July 2023. He is accused of amassing a vast fortune during his time in office and has faced a series of investigations inside and outside Lebanon on charges including embezzlement and tax evasion.
The former governor was arrested in September 2024 and charged with offences including the alleged embezzlement of $44 million from the Central Bank. He was released a year later after posting a record bail of more than $14 million.
Salameh is also the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by French authorities since May 2023.
The former governor, who also holds French citizenship, has repeatedly denied all allegations of wrongdoing. He has insisted that he is being used as a "scapegoat" for Lebanon's economic crisis, which began in 2019.
