The former governor of the Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh. (Credit: Joseph Eid/AFP)
BEIRUT — The attorney general at the Court of Cassation, Judge Ahmad Rami Hajjar, on Saturday ordered the transfer of the former governor of Banque du Liban (BDL, Central Bank), Riad Salameh, from Bhannes Hospital to Roumieh prison, a senior judicial source told L’Orient-Le Jour. Pursued in several corruption cases both in Lebanon and abroad, Salameh is now being held in Roumieh while remaining under medical supervision, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported. If his condition deteriorates, he may be transferred back to a hospital, NNA added.
In a statement released by his lawyers, Salameh's attending physician, Alexandre Khoury, reported a significant deterioration in his health while in detention and requested a new hospitalization in Bhannes "to ensure more precise medical monitoring and continuous supervision."
Sent urgently to the Attorney General at the Court of Cassation after a visit to the former governor's place of detention, the report mentions "a clear change in his physical and psychological state," marked in particular by physical weakness and difficulty communicating. The doctor also reports that Salameh announced his refusal to eat, drink, or take his medication, a decision he seemed determined to maintain.
"Since they intend to get rid of me, I'm going to make it easy for them," he reportedly said, according to the doctor, who indicated that his blood pressure was around 17.5/10.5, a very high level. He warned that stopping treatment could worsen the risks associated with his chronic hypertension and added that the former governor suffers from a "significant drop in oxygen levels during the night," requiring "appropriate medical supervision."
The doctor also called on the judicial authorities to take the necessary steps to ensure the required care, clarifying that his request concerns only medical treatment, independent of any legal proceedings, the statement concluded.
Statement from the Salameh's family
In a statement released by his lawyer, Wassim Ghawi, the family of Riad Salameh disputed reports that the former Banque du Liban governor's condition was stable.
"The risk to his life has worsened due to his inability to receive hospital treatment. He must be placed under intensive medical supervision, especially since the court-appointed medical committee has confirmed the seriousness of his condition, stating that it could lead to his death at any moment," the statement said, reiterating the diagnosis of his treating physician.
The family said the court's refusal to keep the former governor under intensive medical supervision in the hospital "constitutes a serious violation of his procedural rights and is detrimental to the investigation itself."
The statement also said Salameh provided the court with all the requested documents and explanations more than seven months ago. It further criticized the judiciary for placing the entire burden of the investigation into the Banque du Liban cases on the former governor, even though the decisions in question had, according to the family, been approved by the institution's Central Council.
"The loans [criticized in the ongoing proceedings] were granted to preserve monetary and financial stability during the 2010 global financial crisis. After their full repayment, the BDL reportedly made a profit of $33 million from this operation, which now forms the basis of the accusations against its former governor," the family said.
The family also called on the judiciary to guarantee Salameh's right to life and access to medical care.
A senior judicial source said four doctors examined former Banque du Liban governor Riad Salameh on Sunday: his two primary care physicians, including Alexandre Khoury, and two doctors affiliated with the security forces. According to the source, all four concluded that Salameh's condition was stable and that his blood pressure was roughly the same as it had been a year and a half ago. The source added that Salameh is not being held in the same building as other inmates; he is in the building housing the intelligence branch of the Internal Security Forces in Roumieh.
The source also confirmed that Salameh had stopped taking his blood pressure medication. The public prosecutor is expected to issue a statement on Monday addressing the circumstances surrounding the examination.
'Accountability'
Governor of the BDL from 1993 until July 2023, Salameh, 76, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. He was arrested Friday at Bhannès Hospital, where he had gone after a search warrant was issued against him the previous day by the Court of Cassation prosecutor's office. The warrant followed his failure to appear for questioning in connection with a complaint filed by current BDL governor Karim Souhaid. Salameh cited medical reasons for his absence, but the prosecutor's office said it was unable to verify that claim and concluded that he had refused to appear. Security forces had also been unable to locate him at his known residences.
The complaint, which also targets former Bank Audi CEO Samir Hanna, concerns securities that the BDL allegedly subscribed to in companies backed by guarantees consisting of Bank Audi shares. According to the complaint, these transactions caused significant financial losses by placing central bank funds in entities that later proved to be fictitious or financially distressed. After his hearing on Thursday, Hanna was released after posting $1 million bail.
Independent Jezzine MP Charbel Massaad was one of the few officials to react Sunday to the detention of Riad Salameh, saying it should "constitute a true starting point ... for a comprehensive accountability process targeting all those who have misappropriated public funds and depositors' money."
Banque du Liban declined to comment.
"This is a well-developed case, stemming from a complaint filed in January. What matters to us is that the complex operations targeted by this complaint, which led to the squandering of public funds and, in our view, compromised the integrity of the central bank, be fully investigated and that measures are taken to ensure accountability. However, we do not dispute the former governor's right to receive the necessary medical care, even though we believe that state institutions are perfectly capable of providing it," a source within the institution told L'Orient-Le Jour.
Souhaid has served as BDL governor since spring 2025. He was appointed after vice governor Wassim Manssouri served as interim governor for nearly two years following the end of Salameh's term. Salameh is widely considered one of the key figures responsible for the financial crisis that erupted in Lebanon in late 2019.
Arrested in September 2024, Salameh was charged with the alleged embezzlement of $44 million from the central bank. He was released a year later after posting a record bail of more than $14 million but was barred from leaving the country. According to our sources, his health deteriorated significantly during that period.
Since May 2023, Salameh has also been the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the French judiciary. He is suspected of amassing an extensive real estate and banking portfolio in Europe and the United States through a complex financial scheme involving the alleged embezzlement of Lebanese public funds, with the complicity of numerous individuals.
