Beirut Justice Palace. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — The release of Raja Salameh, brother of the governor of central bank Governor Riad Salameh, was approved Tuesday by Mount Lebanon Indictment Chamber judge Pierre Francis, a judicial source confirmed to L'Orient Today. Raja Salameh has been in state custody since March 17 on suspicion of money laundering.
Here’s what we know:
• Judge Francis also agreed to reduce the financial bail to secure Salameh’s release from LL500 billion to LL200 billion, the source said.
• The judicial source added that Raja Salameh will however continue to be questioned by the first investigating judge of Mount Lebanon, Nicolas Mansour. Mansour questioned Raja Salameh for several hours on March 24..
• Raja Salameh’s detention follows a complaint of illicit enrichment and money laundering brought by the collective “Pioneers of Justice,” on the basis of which Mount Lebanon Public Prosecutor Ghada Aoun conducted an investigation leading to his arrest. Raja Salameh is also suspected of involvement in real estate transactions in France in connection with Banque du Liban.
• Last week, the head of the Mount Lebanon Appeals Court, Elie Helou, rejected a request to recuse Judge Francis from the case concerning Raja Salameh’s bail application. The reasons behind the request for recusal are not officially known, but some parties claim that the judge is close to the camp of President Michel Aoun, with whom Judge Aoun is also close. A judicial source affirmed this version to L’Orient Today.