Former BDL governor Riad Salameh. (Credit: AFP archive photo)
For the third time since his arrest on Sept. 9 by Beirut's acting investigating Judge Bilal Halawi, former BDL governor Riad Salameh has filed a request for release. The case, known as ‘Optimum Invest,’ revolves around alleged financial misconduct tied to a ‘Consultations’ account at BDL. Salameh maintains his innocence regarding transactions involving approximately $44 million, which were allegedly transferred from the said account to private accounts.
On Sept. 19, Riad Salameh submitted his first request for release to Judge Halawi, which was rejected a few days later. While he initially chose not to appeal, he later exercised this option on Oct. 29 to contest the judge’s second refusal to grant him release. However, on Nov. 7, the Beirut Indictment Chamber, presided by Nassib Elia, dismissed his appeal.
According to our sources, Judge Halawi has yet to issue a decision on Salameh’s third release request. A judicial source suggests the request will likely be denied, as the reasons behind the rejection of the first two “remain unchanged.”
The source added that Halawi appears unwilling to consider the former central bank governor's release as long as the investigation is stalled due to procedural objections raised by two lawyers implicated in the case.
These lawyers, Micky Tueini and Marwan Issa al-Khoury, argued before Judge Halawi that the alleged offense of falsifying private documents, for which they are accused by the Financial Prosecutor’s Office, is subject to a three-year statute of limitations. Judge Halawi initially accepted the procedural objection, but the decision was appealed by the Financial Prosecutor's Office.
On Dec. 4, the Beirut Indictment Chamber ruled that the alleged offense of falsifying private documents is not subject to the statute of limitations, as it is linked to other infractions not covered by this prescription. The appellate court’s ruling can still be challenged before the Court of Cassation, with a filing deadline of Jan. 2. The two lawyers, Tueini and Khoury, reportedly intend to pursue this option.
Until the deadline passes, Halawi will not resume his investigation, according to the same judicial source. The source also noted that Salameh's detention remains within legal limits, as Lebanese law permits a provisional detention of six months, renewable once, meaning it could legally continue until September 2025.
Financial Prosecutor Ali Ibrahim, consulted by Judge Halawi regarding the former BDL governor’s release request, has advised against granting it. However, his recommendation is not legally binding.
Next hearing at Baabda Palace of Justice
The source also revealed that religious authorities were approached in an attempt to persuade magistrates to facilitate Salameh’s release. However, another judicial source clarified that these efforts are not new, as similar requests had been made before the arrest warrant issued on Oct. 31 by Baabda Investigative Judge Nicolas Mansour, who did not yield.
Judge Mansour is handling a case involving Salameh's acquisition and use of real estate in France valued at approximately $11 million. These assets notably include offices rented by BDL in the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris.
BDL had signed the lease in 2010 with a property management company run by Salameh’s former partner, Anna Kosakova, in exchange for several million euros in rental payments over multiple years.
Judge Nicolas Mansour held a hearing on Tuesday as part of the case to collect documents he had previously requested from BDL. The documents are intended to clarify who made the decision to lease the offices and how the rental price was determined. According to our information, these documents have yet to be provided, prompting Judge Mansour to postpone the hearing to Jan. 22.
This article was translated from L'Orient-Le Jour.
