Key facts
- Former Lebanese central bank governor Riad Salameh has been indicted on charges of financial crimes.
- Samir Hanna, former head of Bank Audi, was also indicted in the same case.
- The charges include embezzlement and illicit enrichment, with allegations of bribery.
- Salameh is currently in custody, while Hanna has been released on bail.
- The indictment involves suspected embezzlement of $154 million in 2010 and $102 million in 2012.
A Lebanese judge has indicted former central bank governor Riad Salameh and Samir Hanna, the former head of Bank Audi, on charges of financial crimes including embezzlement and illicit enrichment. The indictment, issued on Monday, marks an expansion of investigations into Lebanon's financial sector, as it is the first time a commercial banker has been implicated in a case directly linked to Salameh.
According to a senior judicial source, the charges allege that Salameh and Hanna embezzled tens of millions of dollars from the Lebanese central bank. The source also indicated that Hanna is accused of bribing Salameh during his tenure as governor. Salameh, who led the central bank for three decades, has previously been indicted and arrested for other alleged financial crimes and has denied any wrongdoing.
Salameh is currently in custody and under medical supervision at a government hospital after missing a hearing. Hanna, 88, has been released on $1 million bail as investigations continue. In January, the current central bank governor, Karim Souaid, announced a criminal complaint against unnamed former officials and a lawyer for alleged illicit enrichment through misuse of public funds, involving offshore shell companies.
Accountability Now, a Swiss foundation investigating Salameh, stated on social media that the indictment pertains to the suspected embezzlement of $154 million in 2010 and $102 million in 2012. Salameh was previously detained for approximately 13 months over alleged financial crimes and released on a record bail of over $14 million. He also faces ongoing investigations in France, Switzerland, and Germany.