The governor of the Bank of Lebanon, Karim Souhaid, during a press conference at the Central Bank, on Jan. 8, 2026. (Credit: Philippe Hage Boutros/L'Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — Banque du Liban (BDL) Governor Karim Souhaid met again in Paris on Friday with French investigating judges overseeing financial cases linked to the central bank in recent years, the bank said.
BDL added that "these investigations concern suspicions of embezzlement, illegal commissions and complex financial arrangements involving the management of certain Bank of Lebanon financial assets."
The meetings, it said, are part of "ongoing judicial cooperation between the Bank of Lebanon and French investigating judges, and more broadly, of an international effort involving France, Liechtenstein, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland."
"These efforts are an essential element of the BDLs strategy to restore financial stability, as asset recovery and the strengthening of legal accountability remain two fundamental components to enhance the central bank’s ability to meet its obligations, including contributing to the implementation of the planned deposit repayment program," BDL further explained.
The statement did not provide any further details on the content of the discussions or the cases under review.
This is the second meeting between Souhaid and French investigating judges since he announced at a press conference on Jan. 8 his decision to "voluntarily travel to France to exchange extremely sensitive information ... in order to reveal additional aspects of the illegal coordination between certain companies, individual bankers and former BDL officials who conspired to seize the bank’s funds, and consequently, those of Lebanese depositors."
At the same press conference, the governor also announced that the BDL had become a civil party in Lebanon in the case brought against Forry Associates, registered in the British Virgin Islands, which — according to Lebanese and European investigators — was allegedly used as a vehicle for the embezzlement of public funds through a system of commissions in which former governor Riad Salameh and certain members of his family are being prosecuted in Lebanon and abroad.
His first trip took place in mid-January, when he met with French investigating judge Clemence Olivier in Paris. Few details emerged about the content of their discussions.
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