Banque du Liban headquarters in Hamra, Beirut. (Credit: Ahmad Azakir/Reuters)
BEIRUT — European judges questioned Banque Du Liban (BDL) governor Riad Salameh's former assistant Marianne Hoayek for a second day in a row Friday as part of a corruption probe into Salameh, his brother Raja and several associates, Hoayek's lawyer confirmed to L'Orient Today.
The lawyer, Jacques Chucrallah, said there are no new scheduled hearings for Hoayek, adding that he could not provide further details of the investigation.
Hoayek underwent questioning on Thursday at the Beirut Justice Palace.
French, German and Luxembourg magistrates arrived in Beirut on Monday, for the third time since January, to continue their investigation into commissions received by a company owned by Raja Salameh, Forry Associates Ltd, during sales of financial securities of BDL.
Raja Salameh was supposed to be heard by the delegation on Tuesday and Wednesday but skipped the sessions, reportedly for medical reasons.
A French court document seen by Reuters said up to 5 million euros from the central bank ultimately went to Hoayek via accounts in Switzerland and Luxembourg.
Hoayek is also mentioned in a 2021 Swiss request for legal assistance from Lebanese authorities, in which Swiss authorities allege she was the beneficiary of funds that were diverted from the central bank to the detriment of the Lebanese state.
Caretaker Finance Minister Yousef Khalil was also scheduled to be questioned by the European judges as a witness as the former head of operations at BDL. However, he did not attend his session on Friday. Two employees of firms that audit BDL's accounts will also testify: Walid Nakfour, from Ernst and Young, on May 2, and Nada Makhlouf, from Deloitte, on May 4.
Meanwhile, Raja Abou Asli, BDL's senior director, will have to answer investigators' questions on May 3. The hearings are expected to conclude on May 5.