The Baabda Justice Palace. (Credit: Ahmad al-Kerdi/Reuters)
BEIRUT — Baabda Appeals Court judge Elie El Helou on Thursday rejected Mount Lebanon Indictment Chamber judge Pierre Francis’ move to recuse himself from ruling on a release request filed on behalf of central bank chief Raid Salameh’s brother, Raja Salameh, who has been in detention since March 17, a legal source told L'Orient Today.
Here’s what we know:
• The legal source confirmed that the case is now de facto in the hands of Judge Francis.
• The reasons for the judge’s move to recuse himself are not officially known. According to reports, some claim that Francis, like Mount Lebanon Public Prosecutor Judge Ghada Aoun, is close to President Michel Aoun’s camp. A judicial source affirmed these claims to L'Orient Today.
• On Friday, Judge Aoun filed an appeal contesting the decision of the first investigating judge at the Mount Lebanon Appeals Court, Nicolas Mansour, to release Raja Salameh on a LL500 billion bail bond. Judge Aoun has brought illicit enrichment charges against Raja Salameh. The bail decision is conditioned by a travel ban and a seizure of funds.
• The appeal was presented to the Indictment Chamber, which was expected to issue a ruling this week. Without a ruling, Raja Salameh remains in custody due to charges filed by Mansour following an investigation into Salameh’s involvement in a realty transaction in France that is connected to Banque du Liban.
• Ghada Aoun on March 21 prosecuted Raja Salameh among others, including Riad Salameh, for illicit enrichment based on a charge concerning apartments acquired in France by the central bank governor, as well as real estate offices rented by BDL from a former companion of the governor on the Champs-Elysées in Paris.