A public prosecution lawsuit has been filed against Central Bank governor Riad Salameh, his brother Raja, and his assistant Marianne Hoayek.
They are scheduled to face questioning from the First Investigative Judge of Beirut, Charbel Abou Samra, on March 15.
They are facing charges of embezzlement, money laundering, illicit enrichment, and tax evasion.
Despite repeated complaints, summonses, investigations, and a travel ban against him, Salameh has rarely appeared before the judiciary and categorically denies all accusations against him.
Lebanon launched an investigation into Salameh’s assets in 2021 following a request for assistance from Switzerland’s public prosecutor, who was investigating hundreds of millions of dollars in fund movements by the governor and his brother.
Since 1993, Riad Salameh has been the head of Lebanon’s central bank. According to Swiss media reports from last month, banks in Switzerland are allegedly holding up to $500 million in accused embezzled funds.
