BDL Governor Riad Salameh in Beirut, December 20, 2021. (Credit: Joseph Eid/AFP)
BEIRUT — Beirut's Indictment Chamber postponed to Aug. 29 a hearing of former Banque du Liban (BDL) governor Riad Salameh after it was unable to locate him to notify him of scheduled questioning on Wednesday.
According to a senior judicial source, the police responsible for delivering the official summons to Salameh could not find him at his residences in Safra and Rabieh, nor at the BDL.
Three separate police stations — Ghazir, Antelias and one in Beirut — were tasked with the delivery of the summons.
A source close to the case confirmed that Salameh was not successfully notified of his scheduled court appearance.
Asked whether other people can receive the summons on Salameh's behalf, this source explained that, "by law, people working for Salameh can do so." However, in this case, no one else accepted the summons on his behalf.
In Salameh's absence, the scheduled Wednesday session at the Beirut Indictment Chamber was adjourned.
The Chamber decided to summon Salameh last week after overturning a decision by Beirut's first investigating judge to release the former governor.
Judge Abou Samra had asked Salameh to remain at the disposal of the courts, but this request was appealed by Hélène Iskandar, head of the state legal department, who filed a civil suit in Salameh's case to protect the interests of the Lebanese State. Iskandar wanted Salameh returned for further questioning.
Salameh is being questioned as part of an investigation by the Lebanese judiciary for "forgery, money laundering, illicit enrichment and tax evasion."
He is also being investigated in several European countries for alleged corruption, but denies all charges.
