The conclusion of the interrogation of the Governor of the Bank of Lebanon

According to the National News Agency, the first investigating judge in Beirut, Charbel Abu Samra, has set a date for Salama’s trial session to end tomorrow, pending investigation on charges of money laundering and embezzlement.

And the governor went to the Palace of Justice the next day, after he did not appear yesterday, to be heard by the deputy president of the Paris Court of Appeal, Ouda Bersi, and the administration of Judge Abu Samra.

In a statement, the European Observatory for Integrity in Lebanon called on the Lebanese judiciary to take an immediate decision to remove Salameh from his position and resort to an arrest request with the confiscation of his property and money.

In this context, the administrative body of the Council of Muslim Scholars considered in its weekly meeting that the trial of the Governor of the Banque du Liban constitutes a step in the right direction in seeking to discover the violations that led the country to the current collapse. .

Salama is also facing a lawsuit from the state, through the head of the Cases Authority at the Ministry of Justice, Judge Helena Iskandar, for crimes of bribery, forgery, money laundering, illegal enrichment and tax evasion.

In January, a delegation from Germany, France and Luxembourg arrived in Beirut to investigate the sources of Salameh’s assets in the banks of the so-called Old Continent and the monetary transactions that took place from the region in recent years.

Without conflicting with the country’s internal laws and in accordance with the anti-corruption agreement signed with the United Nations in 2008, the investigations of those close to Salameh and other leaders of the Banque du Liban and directors of lending institutions constitute one of the final steps. before making direct accusations.

In March of the previous year, the European Union’s Criminal Justice Cooperation Agency helped freeze some $132 million in Lebanese assets in France, Germany, Luxembourg, Monaco and Belgium, including property and bank accounts.

The procedure is linked to a money laundering investigation linking five citizens, including Salameh, on suspicion of embezzlement of about $330 million.

On the Lebanese territory, Judge Ghada Aoun froze some of the assets of the Central Bank director as a precautionary measure and issued a ban on leaving the country until the completion of the investigation into suspected money laundering.

Many consider him one of those responsible for the current collapse, and Salama has held his position since 1993, to be classified as one of the longest-serving central bank governors in the world, and his term is scheduled to end next July.

ro/yma