All news

Banque du Liban’s governor remains free after interrogation — source

The central bank governor’s brother, Raja Salameh, and his assistant, Marianne Howeik, were also implicated in the case of foreign exchange fraud

BEIRUT, March 17. /TASS/. Investigators from Lebanon and the European Union completed their questioning of Riad Salameh, the governor of the Banque du Liban [Lebanon’s central bank - TASS], who is suspected of money laundering and illegal embezzlement of funds, a source at Beirut’s Palace of Justice told TASS.

"Salameh remains free after two court hearings, in which lawyers from France, Germany and Luxembourg participated," the source said. "No charges have been brought against him so far," he added. The interrogation lasted for two hours on Friday; the governor answered one hundred questions over six hours on Thursday.

The central bank governor’s brother, Raja Salameh, and his assistant, Marianne Howeik, were also implicated in the case of foreign exchange fraud. "The team of investigators will interrogate them on April 15," the source noted.

The An-Nahar newspaper reported earlier that it was ascertained during an investigation by Swiss authorities in 2022 that the governor of the Banque du Liban charged commissions on sales of government securities to commercial banks. The bulk of such funds was then remitted to the Forry brokerage house, owned by Raja Salameh, instead of to the accounts of the Banque du Liban. According to the newspaper, at least $500 million was embezzled and used to acquire real properties in Western Europe.

The central bank governor refuted these alleged facts in a press release posted on Friday. "No money was transferred from public funds to his personal accounts or to the accounts of any private company," the statement reads. Salameh "is satisfied with the course of the investigation," according to the release.

Salameh, who has been the governor of Lebanon’s central bank since 1993, tendered his resignation to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday, but his request has not yet been considered because the prime minister is currently on a visit to Italy. The official mandate of the central bank governor is set to expire in July 2023.