Riad Salameh at a press conference held at the Banque du Liban headquarters in Beirut, Nov. 11, 2019. (Credit: Joseph Eid/AFP)
The State Litigation Department filed a civil suit against former Banque du Liban (BDL) Governor Riad Salameh, as well as “anyone identified as involved in the investigation,” following charges brought by the financial prosecutor’s office, according to the official National News Agency (NNA).
Salameh was questioned on Tuesday and detained for four days — until Friday. Acting Attorney General at the Court of Cassation Jamal Hajjar referred the case to the Financial Prosecutor’s Office, which has charged the former governor with "embezzlement and theft of public funds, forgery, and illicit enrichment." The case was referred to Acting First Investigating Judge Bilal Halawi, who has the authority to issue an arrest warrant for Salameh, if necessary.
According to a judicial source, Helene Iskandar, head of the State's legal department, initiated this procedure to safeguard the State's interests. If a conviction is secured, she will be able to recover funds on behalf of the State to compensate for the damage caused by the alleged misappropriation of public money.
As part of the legal process, the first investigating judge is required to summon Iskandar to attend hearings with Salameh and any other individuals called for questioning, the source said.
In March 2023, Iskandar filed a civil suit against Salameh in a separate case being investigated by then-first investigating judge in Beirut, Charbel Abou Samra.
Salameh, who denies any wrongdoing, remains in provisional detention, drawing further criticism from his critics.
Ghada Aoun seeks to resume investigation
Mount Lebanon Attorney General at the Court of Cassation, Ghada Aoun, who previously launched several alleged corruption investigations against Salameh, requested on Thursday to resume her investigations. She had been removed from the case in June by the acting head of the Court of Cassation’s prosecutor’s office.
“The judge who started the fight against state corruption should be allowed to resume her work,” Aoun posted on X, formerly Twitter, referring to her own role. She called on Hajjar to “revoke his decision preventing the judicial police from contacting her,” warning that if her request is not granted, it would suggest that Salameh’s arrest was part of "an agreement benefiting those who worked alongside him, as well as those who protected or covered for him among officials or top bankers.”
Former President Michel Aoun, a long-time critic of Salameh, also commented on his arrest. “Justice will have the final say when a decision is issued, not before. We await that decision before commenting further,” the former president wrote on X.
Arrest 'all those responsible'
On the ground, a few dozen protesters responded to a call for a sit-in on Thursday morning by the “Depositors’ Cry” organization in front of the Palace of Justice, expressing solidarity with Hajjar's decision.
“We hope the judiciary won’t stop at Salameh and will continue its efforts to apprehend all those responsible for looting depositors’ funds,” Moussa Agathy, spokesperson for the association, told L'Orient Today.
The protest took place against the backdrop of illegal restrictions, which continue to be imposed by local banks on withdrawals and fund transfers since 2019.