On Tuesday, Lebanon’s state security patrol raided the Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh’s house in Rabieh and headed towards the Central Bank in search of him.
According to MTV, the security patrol was not able to enter the Central Bank per the decision of Judge Raja Hamoush. However, judge Ghada Aoun did manage to get in accompanied by some personnel.
Later on, “a signal came from Judge Hamoush to vacate the place” and judge Aoun left the building.
Following this, employees of the Central Bank announced a strike and stated:
“We respect the judiciary and we are under the roof of the law.”
Back in March, Judge Aoun filed charges against Riad Salameh for illegal enrichment and money laundering, following investigations by the French authorities in France.
The investigations by the French authorities uncovered that Salameh has been using, for years, millions in funds from Lebanon’s Central Bank for private purposes.
Salameh failed to respond to the summon of Judge Aoun for questioning back then, while his brother Raja, also accused of illicit enrichment and alleged embezzling, was arrested and detained. He was then released on bail of about $3.7 million in May.
