Lebanon: a judge confiscates the real estate and vehicles of the governor of the Central Bank
Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon Riad Salamé, during his interview with Agence France-presse, December 20, 2021. AFP - JOSEPH EID
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1 min
A few days ago, Judge Ghada Aoun prohibited Riad Salamé from leaving Lebanese territory.
She made this new decision on Tuesday.
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With our correspondent in Beirut,
Paul Khalifeh
The decisions taken by Judge Ghada Aoun respond to a complaint for "
embezzlement, illicit enrichment and money laundering
" presented by a collective of activists.
On Tuesday, Ghada Aoun, one of the few judges who dares to investigate powerful figures in Lebanon, issued a ban on all land and vehicles belonging to the Governor of the Central Bank.
A week earlier,
she had banned
Riad Salamé from leaving Lebanese territory.
The same day, another judge, Jean Tannous, had gone with the police to several banks to obtain account statements from the governor's brother.
The name of Raja Salamé is quoted with that of his brother in an investigation opened in Switzerland on movements of funds relating to 300 million dollars.
The head of the Banque du Liban denies these accusations and claims to be the victim of a smear campaign.
Despite the suspicions of embezzlement and corruption hanging over Riad Salamé in Lebanon and abroad, the governor remains protected by part of the political class, the judiciary and the financial establishment.
In the name of banking secrecy, the banks refused to cooperate with the judge who would have been scolded by the public prosecutor.
► Read also:
Opening of an investigation in France on the assets of the governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon
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