Lebanon's judicial authorities have charged former central bank governor Riad Salameh for his alleged role in a $44 million embezzlement case.
Mr Salameh, who headed the Banque du Liban from August 1993 until July 2023, was on Tuesday accused of offences related to embezzlement, misuse of public funds, and illicit enrichment. So, too, are lawyers Marwan Issa Khoury and Michel Tueni, who are also being prosecuted in relation to the case.
The three men are accused of embezzling $44.8 million from a central bank “consultancy account”, according to the text of the indictment published by Lebanon's National News Agency. It is one of several investigations into Mr Salameh.
The Beirut Indictment Chamber also approved a request by prosecutors to widen investigations into how funds were moved into and out of banks without senior managers notifying the central bank's Special Investigation Commission.
The indictment follows moves by the central bank to file a criminal complaint against a former senior official, a former banker, and a lawyer over alleged illicit enrichment through misuse of public funds, the bank's deputy governor, Wassim Mansouri, has said.
Mr Salameh, 75, was released on $14 million bail in September after more than a year in custody as he awaits trial over alleged theft of public funds. He remains in Lebanon and is subject to a travel ban.
He was detained after being charged with embezzling at least $42 million from the central bank, as well as illicit enrichment and forgery.
Once lauded as a financial wizard, Mr Salameh's fall from grace began after the 2019 collapse of Lebanon’s economy, described by experts as one of the largest potential nationwide Ponzi schemes, from which he and his entourage allegedly profited for years through complex financial dealings.
He has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
In 2021, Switzerland launched an investigation into alleged money laundering linked to the discovery of suspicious transfers to Europe from an account at the Banque du Liban.
Following this, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Belgium initiated their own investigations.
