The Baabda courthouse, where the Mount Lebanon appeals prosecutor, Sami Sader, will look into the Cedrus Bank case. (Credit: NNA)
Deputy Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation Myrna Kallas on Monday referred the Cedrus Bank case to the Mount Lebanon Court of Appeal prosecutor. The case involves a former manager of the bank’s Jounieh branch, identified as C.F., who is suspected of forgery and embezzlement.
C.F. is the subject of a complaint filed several months ago by dermatologist R.M., who accuses her of forging his signature and illegally withdrawing more than $1 million from his account.
Arrested on Sept. 24, C.F. was confronted last Thursday before Judge Kallas by R.M., his sister, N.M., who holds power of attorney over his account, and his niece, S.A., who also claims to be a victim of an unauthorized $100,000 withdrawal.
All three appeared with their lawyer, Rita Rahmeh, who also represents another complainant, A.C., a surgeon at a hospital in Beirut’s southern suburbs. A.C. has filed a separate complaint against C.F. for forgery and the unlawful withdrawal of $900,000. He also participated in the same cross-examination session, which lasted approximately eight hours, according to information obtained by L’Orient-Le Jour.
Following the session, C.F. remained in custody. The former bank executive reportedly admitted to forging signatures but did not explicitly confess to having withdrawn funds using the forged documents, according to the same sources.
The complainants have also filed separate lawsuits against Cedrus Bank. About two weeks ago, C.F. was confronted by a bank representative, R.C., before Judge Kallas, in the absence of the depositors and their attorney.
The case now falls under the authority of Mount Lebanon Prosecutor General Sami Sader, who is expected to review it and determine the next judicial steps. If he decides to prosecute C.F. and the bank, the case will be referred to Mount Lebanon’s Chief Investigating Judge, Nada Asmar, who will then decide whether to take up the investigation herself or assign it to one of the eleven other investigating judges at the Baabda Justice Palace.
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