Lebanon has formally charged former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh and former Bank Audi Chairman Samir Hanna with embezzlement and illicit enrichment from public funds. The news was reported by Reuters and AFP, citing judicial sources, on Monday (local time).
According to the indictment, the two men are accused of embezzling tens of millions of dollars from the Central Bank of Lebanon (Banque du Liban). This marks the first time a commercial bank leader has been prosecuted in a criminal case linked to Mr. Salameh, signaling that the investigation is expanding into the private sector. The sources also indicated that the case file includes allegations that Mr. Hanna bribed the former governor during his tenure at the central bank.
Riad Salameh, 76, served as Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon from 1993 to July 2023. He has been detained since last month after failing to appear at a hearing, and is currently under medical supervision at a public hospital outside Beirut. He had previously been held for about 13 months on financial charges and was released in September after posting a record bail of more than $14 million.
Samir Hanna, 88, has posted $1 million in bail and remains free while the financial investigation continues.
Earlier, in January, current Central Bank Governor Karim Souaid announced that the bank had filed a criminal complaint against an unnamed former official, a former banker, and a lawyer for illicit enrichment through the misuse of public funds. He said these activities were carried out through four shell companies offshore in the Cayman Islands.
In addition to domestic cases, Mr. Salameh faces investigations in several countries, including France, Switzerland, and Germany. He denies any wrongdoing, claiming he has been made a “scapegoat” for the country’s economic crisis.
