'Why, what did he do?' Social networks bustle with reactions to Riad Salameh's arrest

The unexpected arrest of Riad Salameh, the former governor of Lebanon’s central bank, on Tuesday sent shockwaves through the country, prompting widespread reactions from politicians, civil society, and social media users.

Salameh, who stepped down in July 2023 after 30 years in charge, is facing charges in Lebanon and several European countries. He is accused of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars from the Lebanese state and laundering the funds internationally.

Widely blamed by many Lebanese for the 2019 financial and monetary collapse, Salameh was detained in Beirut and placed in custody after a three-hour interrogation by the public prosecutor over allegations that he embezzled more than $40 million from the central bank, according to an anonymous judicial source cited by AFP.

His arrest quickly sparked a flurry of reactions on social media platform X, with users expressing a mix of cynicism and irony, reflecting both the disillusionment and enduring humor of the Lebanese people. Some celebrated the news, with one user sharing the announcement by the Lebanese TV channel LBCI and asking jubilantly, “Is today a national holiday or what?”

Another user, known to regularly criticize the Lebanese Forces (LF) and support the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), took to X to comment on Riad Salameh's arrest — using puns to comment on the situation and criticize them all. She posted a message playing on the names and nicknames of various prominent political figures, along with a photo of Ghada Aoun, a public prosecutor who was previously pursuing cases against Salameh before being removed from the preceedings. 

Addressing her post to Salemeh, she said "Listen to what I have to tell you, be 'nimble' about what I have to tell you" — a wordplay on the first name of Speaker Nabih Berri, which translates to nimble. She continued to make puns in Arabic using Salemeh's name as it loosely translates to "goodbye," followed by a playful jab about celebrating the arrest by "bringing" pastries — a pun involving caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, whose first name loosely translate to "bringing"

The post went on to reference other political figures, stating "With the help of God, we will be victorious," a nod to former president Michel Aoun. The message continued with jabs at other political figures, including "the hakim [the doctor in English, a nickname for Samir Geagea] needs a doctor," and "Saad [which translates to happiness, referring to ex-Prime Minister Saad Hariri] is depressed." The post also included a pun about Walid Jumblatt, suggesting he "wishes he hadn't been born," playing on the verb for "to be born" which shares a root with Jumblatt's first name.

Many have relished pointing out the sluggishness of the judicial system and the hurdles it faces. One user on X highlighted this by tweeting "Riad Salameh arrested four years later," along with a video of Lebanese singer Najwa Karam repeatedly singing "finally, finally, finally!" The clip was taken from an episode of Arab’s Got Talent, where Karam serves as a judge.

Journalist Charbel al-Khoury took a jab at the close relationship between Marcel Ghanem, the presenter of the Lebanese political talk show Sar al-Waqet (The Time has Come in English), and Riad Salameh. He wrote, "I imagine Professor Marcel will cut short his summer vacation and come back today." Ghanem is well-known for his numerous interviews with Salameh, which critics have often viewed as overly deferential and at time complacent.

The satirical "Lebanese Lira" account, which personifies the national currency, took a jab at the former banker's infamous reassurances about the Lebanese lira. The account posted a simple, punchy "Oh Daddy" that quickly went viral.

Naturally, reactions to Riad Salameh's alleged relationships with women have not escaped the attention of network users. Legal actions have been initiated in Lebanon and other countries against women in the ex-governor's circle, including his current wife, actress Stephanie Saliba, his daughter's mother, Anna Kosakova, and his former assistant Marianne Hoyek. One user quipped, "If you can, don't imprison Riad Salameh in a women's prison, because, by God, we don't have a single lira left to fund his relationships."

To cap off this wave of lighthearted reactions, influencer Hady Osaily sarcastically responded to the news of Salameh’s arrest, shared by the TV channel al-Jadeed's X account, with the ironic question, "Why, what did he do?"

This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour and translated by Tasnim Chaaban.