Lebanese prosecutor Ghada Aoun dismissed by judicial disciplinary council

Judge who launched investigations into top officials says she will appeal

Ghada Aoun has faced complaints over her conduct. Reuters

The Lebanese judiciary's disciplinary council has voted to remove from office a prosecutor who brought charges against the governor of the central bank and other top bankers over alleged mismanagement and corruption.

“They are punishing me for doing my job,” Ghada Aoun said on Thursday after hearing the decision.

She said she would appeal, however, which would allow her to continue working until her case is decided.

“I'm not afraid of anyone. Even if they want to kill me, I have no problem,” said Ms Aoun, who has also launched corruption investigations into other top officials.

While the reasons for her removal were not made public, Ms Aoun has faced complaints over her conduct and has been accused of overstepping her boundaries.

She has insisted she “did not do anything wrong” and described the decision to remove her as malicious, pointing out that some of the investigations she has launched have also been followed up internationally.

“Look at the state of the country. People are in a situation of absolute misery, they can't even get treatment and here they are trying to sue a judge who has done his duty in all conscience,” said Ms Aoun, the Mount Lebanon prosecutor.

Earlier this year, Lebanon's Prime Minister and Interior Minister moved to restrict her probe into commercial banks, saying she was “overstepping authority” after she charged two banks with money laundering.

Ms Aoun last year charged Banque Du Liban Governor Riad Salameh with illicit enrichment, in a case related to wider corruption investigations against him in Lebanon and at least five European countries.

Mr Salameh, who denies the charges, was later charged by another Lebanese judge with illicit enrichment.

A delegation of European judges, who are in Lebanon as part of the international investigation, on Thursday questioned Mr Salameh's brother as part of the probe.

Raja Salameh, who also denies any wrongdoing, allegedly helped his brother embezzle tens of millions of US dollars from the Lebanese central bank.

The investigators from France, Germany and Luxembourg arrived on a two-week visit last week.

A devastating economic crisis that first became apparent in 2019 has pushed most Lebanese into poverty.

The crisis has been blamed on decades worth of mismanagement and corruption by Lebanon's ruling classes. As the long-serving central bank chief, Mr Salameh has been among those held chiefly responsible.