Beirut Palace of Justice. (Credit: Philippe Hage Boutros)
Following the indictment of Karim Salam, brother and associate of former Economy Minister Amin Salam, on charges of embezzlement by Beirut’s first investigative judge, Bilal Halawi, on Apr. 8, 2025, L’Orient-Le Jour learned that the Beirut indictment chamber, presided over by Maher Cheaito, has recently upheld the charges and added accusations of illicit enrichment.The court has referred Salam, who has been in custody for approximately 45 days, to the Beirut criminal court.The decision was issued on the basis of the Penal Code (Article 352), which punishes with imprisonment “any person vested with a public mandate who solicits, for themselves or for a third party, a gift or any other benefit in order to carry out an act contrary to their mission,” as well as the law on illicit enrichment, which penalizes any substantial and unjustified...
Following the indictment of Karim Salam, brother and associate of former Economy Minister Amin Salam, on charges of embezzlement by Beirut’s first investigative judge, Bilal Halawi, on Apr. 8, 2025, L’Orient-Le Jour learned that the Beirut indictment chamber, presided over by Maher Cheaito, has recently upheld the charges and added accusations of illicit enrichment.The court has referred Salam, who has been in custody for approximately 45 days, to the Beirut criminal court.The decision was issued on the basis of the Penal Code (Article 352), which punishes with imprisonment “any person vested with a public mandate who solicits, for themselves or for a third party, a gift or any other benefit in order to carry out an act contrary to their mission,” as well as the law on illicit enrichment, which penalizes any substantial and...