A Lebanese judge has ordered the release of former economy minister Amin Salam on bail of nine billion Lebanese lira (about $100,000) and imposed a travel ban on him.
Judge Kamal Nassar approved the release of Mr Salam, who served as minister from 2021 until earlier this year. He was first arrested six months ago over alleged financial crimes.
The former minister is under investigation over claims of falsification, embezzlement of public funds and blackmailing insurance companies.
He was arrested following a complaint filed earlier this year by Lebanese MP Farid Boustany, who chairs the parliamentary economy committee, over allegations of “embezzlement, extortion and waste of public funds”.
The committee alleged that Mr Salam awarded overpriced contracts to foreign companies for services that did not justify the costs, and misappropriated funds from the Insurance Companies Contribution Fund, which is overseen by the Economy Ministry.
In March, Mr Salam denied any wrongdoing and criticised what he described as “attacks” against him.
He served as economy minister during the fallout from the devastating 2019 financial crash in Lebanon, described as one of the worst in the modern history by the World Bank, as well as last year during on Israel's war on Lebanon - a conflict that caused billions of dollars' worth of damage to the country.
