The United States Department of State has denied that the Biden administration had intentions to impose potential sanctions on Lebanon’s central bank governor Riad Salameh.
This was in response to a report by Bloomberg in which it cited four people close to the matter who said that the United States was considering sanctioning Salameh as part of an investigation into the alleged embezzlement of public funds.
“We have seen reports about possible sanctions on Riad Salameh. They are untrue,” said the spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Casey Bonfield, in a brief statement.
Salameh has vowed to legally pursue Bloomberg News and its reporter in Beirut for fabricating news and attempting to discredit him by publishing false and defamatory information about him.
Salameh‘s troubles don’t end there though. In addition to the ongoing Swiss investigation, he has been called for questioning by Mount Lebanon investigative Judge Ziad Makna, over a lawsuit against him by the alliance of anti-corruption lawyers, United for Lebanon (UFL).