Alleged theft from Bankmed clients: Rayya al-Hassan questioned and released

Following a complaint from five clients claiming that their accounts had been emptied, Bankmed CEO and former minister Rayya al-Hassan was questioned on Thursday by the assistant prosecutor general at the Court of Cassation, Myrna Kallas, before being released with a proof of residency.

L’Orient-Le Jour learned that the complaint was filed a month ago for breach of trust and forgery with the Court of Cassation by Sakhr al-Hachem, the lawyer representing the depositors, all members of the same family. The complaint targets Bankmed, notably represented by al-Hassan, and the Executive General Director, Michel Accad.

Context

BankMed client theft: Former interior minister Raya al-Hassan questioned as witness

The allegedly missing funds are estimated at around $5 million, deposited in the bank before the 2019 economic crisis. Likely uninterested in the monthly withdrawals of a few hundred dollars permitted by the Banque du Liban under its circulars, the affected clients, residing in Gulf countries, did not regularly check their accounts, according to our information.

The situation was discovered by chance when the manager of the Beirut branch holding the funds contacted one of the account holders, asking if they had requested a transfer of $50,000. When the clients stressed that they had not made any withdrawals, were unaware of such a transaction, and had not given consent, the branch manager advised them to check all their accounts. That is when they discovered that the accounts had been completely emptied, a source familiar with the case told L’Orient-Le Jour.

More context

Bankmed client allegedly robbed by director on the run

A source at the Justice Palace said al-Hassan was questioned on Thursday in the presence of the bank’s lawyer, Oussama Salman. She reportedly stated that verification and audit measures had already been implemented within the bank and pledged to present the relevant documents soon. 

Judge Kallas is expected to compare these documents with the evidence submitted by the complainants and may also summon witnesses. The case has therefore not been abandoned, and the investigation is ongoing, the source added.

This article was translated from L'Orient-Le Jour.

Vol présumé de clients de Bankmed : Rayya el-Hassan entendue et relâchée