Former Governor of the Central Bank, Riad Salameh. (Credit: AFP)
A new twist in the French investigation into Riad Salameh’s assets: The Central Bank’s Special Investigation Commission (SIC) recently asked Lebanese banks to lift bank secrecy on the accounts of the former BDL governor, Riad Salameh, since 2002.
This step came after the French judiciary requested in early March – through the usual institutional and diplomatic channels – to broaden the scope of its investigations, particularly targeting the former governor and his brother Raja, in the Forry case.
Salameh, currently in prison in Lebanon as part of the legal proceedings initiated by Lebanese justice, is being prosecuted in France for embezzlement, money laundering, and illicit enrichment, and has been subject to an international arrest warrant since May 2023. Two months later, the Paris Court of Appeal confirmed the seizure of Salameh’s assets in France, although he solemnly continues to affirm that he is innocent.
Extended process
In their letter, which L’Orient-Le Jour read, the French judges specifically asked for details about the joint bank accounts held in Lebanon by Riad Salamwh and his wife Nada Salameh. They demanded the delivery of all related banking documents, including any document that precisely establishes the identity of the account holder and/or the beneficial owner; statements of transactions made since Jan. 1, 2002, to the present – or earlier, if possible – copies of Swift notifications, transfer orders, or any document justifying transactions exceeding the equivalent of 15,000 euros – including cash withdrawals – and the reference numbers of the bank cards associated with the accounts in question.
French judicial authorities already requested several of these documents in the past.
“The SIC had then decided to transmit some of them. However, to this day, it is still collecting the required information as part of a request for judicial assistance that is proving to be particularly comprehensive,” a source close to the case stated.
Lebanese authorities are currently working to establish a system for extended inquiries with all banks and financial institutions operating in Lebanon in order to identify any potential joint accounts held by Salameh and his wife. The concerned institutions are being ordered to provide the SCI with certified and duly stamped copies of the aforementioned documents, dating back to the opening of the accounts.
The SIC, according to our information, sent a request to Audi Bank regarding a transfer dating back to August 2007, made from an account belonging to Raja Salameh to an account held by Riad Salameh or his wife. The latter allegedly holds several accounts in different Lebanese banks, including al-Mawarid Bank, whose president, former minister Marwan Kheireddine, has been officially charged and placed under judicial control.
“This new French request puts the Lebanese judiciary in a delicate position, urging it to deepen its own investigations and abandon any attempt to invoke the statute of limitations,” said a senior judge on condition of anonymity.
“However, several politicians, bankers, and media figures could be found in the financial transactions that the French judiciary is currently working to fully investigate.”
This article was originally published in French in L’Orient-Le Jour. It was translated by Joelle El-Khoury.