Calay News
The French justice system has requested the arrest of Riad Salamé, the governor of Lebanon’s central bank, after he refused to appear for questioning in Paris regarding suspicions of illicit enrichment in Europe. The judge in charge of the case has issued an international arrest warrant against the 72-year-old Salamé, as reported by a source close to the matter.
The governor has denied accumulating real estate and banking assets in Europe through a complex financial structure and misappropriation of Lebanese public funds. Throughout the year, European judges, including the French magistrate, have traveled to Lebanon on three occasions to interrogate Salamé and his associates.
The summons on Tuesday sought a potential formal indictment in the French investigation initiated in July 2021. At least two indictments have been made in France thus far: one against Anna K., a suspected front for Salamé, and another against Marwan Kheireddine, a former minister and current director of Al Mawarid Bank.
While Lebanon does not extradite its citizens, it does comply with decisions from foreign courts. Salamé’s lawyer, Pierre-Olivier Sur, has stated that his client did not appear because the summons did not meet the necessary requirements.
In March 2022, France, Germany, and Luxembourg froze 120 million euros (130 million dollars) of Lebanese assets allegedly belonging to the governor of the central bank.
