Protesters outside the courthouse in Beirut during a hearing for Riad Salameh on Sept. 9, 2024. (Credit: AFP)
Many questions surround the arrest of former Banque du Liban (BDL) governor Riad Salameh.Why, after months of refusing to appear in court, did he finally cave? Why have his long-standing political supporters abandoned him? What lies ahead after Beirut’s examining magistrate Bilal Halawi had an arrest warrant issued against Salameh?Amidst these uncertainties, political and diplomatic circles are calling for international pressure to be put on Lebanon to accelerate its judicial process and tackle corruption. As a result, other prominent figures, in addition to Salameh, could face a similar fate.According to L’Orient-Le Jour’s sources, Salameh’s arrest was preceded by a series of international judicial messages urging Lebanon to take action against money laundering and corruption. One of these messages specifically mentioned Salameh and the...
Many questions surround the arrest of former Banque du Liban (BDL) governor Riad Salameh.Why, after months of refusing to appear in court, did he finally cave? Why have his long-standing political supporters abandoned him? What lies ahead after Beirut’s examining magistrate Bilal Halawi had an arrest warrant issued against Salameh?Amidst these uncertainties, political and diplomatic circles are calling for international pressure to be put on Lebanon to accelerate its judicial process and tackle corruption. As a result, other prominent figures, in addition to Salameh, could face a similar fate.According to L’Orient-Le Jour’s sources, Salameh’s arrest was preceded by a series of international judicial messages urging Lebanon to take action against money laundering and corruption. One of these messages specifically mentioned Salameh...