Amine Salam, then Minister of the Economy, during a press conference on September 21. (Credit: Dalati and Nohra.)
Amine Salam, the former Economy Minister, faced a two-hour interrogation session on Tuesday led by Jamal Hajjar, the Attorney General at the Lebanese Court of Cassation.
Salam was accompanied by his lawyers, Tony Frangieh and Samer al-Hajj, during the inquiry. This information was confirmed to L’Orient Today by a judicial source.
Following the hearing, the magistrate chose to keep Salam at liberty while still subject to the investigation's requirements. Salam was, however, summoned for another session scheduled for the following Tuesday.
The questioning focused on allegations against Salam, his brother and associate Karim Salam, his advisor Fadi Tamim, and Elie Abboud, an auditor and president of the Certified Public Accountants’ Syndicate. The accusations involve embezzlement of public funds and extortion of insurance companies.
Last Tuesday, the Beirut Accusation Chamber, under Judge Maher Cheaito, dismissed an earlier decision by Beirut's First Investigative Judge Bilal Halaoui. Judge Halawi had ordered Karim Salam's release on bail, who has been in detention since April 8 following charges by the Financial Prosecutor's Office. Karim Salam immediately appealed Judge Cheaito's decision.
The Accusation Chamber sided with the prosecution and decided to keep Karim Salam in custody.
