Lebanon lifts travel ban on Central Bank chief, clearing way for him to face hearing in France
A Lebanese judge has lifted a travel ban placed on Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, enabling him to travel to Paris for a hearing scheduled on May 16 as part of an embezzlement inquiry.
Lebanon and at least five European countries are investigating whether Mr Salameh and his brother Raja took more than $300 million from the Central Bank between 2002 and 2015.
Mount Lebanon prosecutor Ghada Aoun told The National she lifted the travel ban on Thursday, which she placed on Riad Salameh last year as part of a local investigation against the embattled Central Bank Governor, after requesting the file from investigating judge Nicolas Mansour.
A person familiar with the matter told The National the decision was taken to prevent the Governor from using the travel ban “as an excuse to avoid attending the hearing”.
European judicial officials have visited Lebanon twice this year to interview witnesses and collect evidence as part of a joint investigation.
During its most recent visit in March, the investigative team – with France’s Aude Buresi its only judge – conducted a twoday hearing during which it spent eight hours questioning the governor.
With the indictment of Riad Salameh’s partner Anna Kosakova, and most recently of Lebanese banker Marwan Kheireddine, which in French law is a significant step before an eventual prosecution, France appears to have taken the lead as the fastest-moving European investigation.
The French proceedings are still at the investigation stage, aiming to gather enough evidence to convince a judge to move forward with a trial.
Riad Salameh’s hearing in France is an important step.
“It is not only a stage of gathering information, but also an opportunity to confront Mr Salameh’s statements with the evidence presented,” said a lawyer close to the case.
The indictment of Mr Kheireddine in France is a positive sign for the case as it shows there is enough evidence to justify formal charges, the lawyer said.
“The logical progression of events would be for Mr Salameh to face indictment. If he fails to appear, an arrest warrant may be issued against him to Interpol,” said the lawyer.
The Lebanese governor’s lawyer in France, Pierre-Olivier Sur, did not respond to requests for comment.
He has told Reuters that he might challenge the hearing in France, citing procedural grounds. Mr Sur told the agency before Ms Aoun’s move that his client may not be able to attend the hearing due to the travel restrictions.
Ms Aoun imposed a travel ban on Riad Salameh in January last year as a part of a related investigation into the acquisition of real estate in the Champs-Elysees in Paris by Ms Kosakova.
It was alleged that Riad Salameh had made the Central Bank pay for renting the Parisian properties for a decade at inflated rates.
Riad Salameh is scheduled to appear in Beirut on May 18 as part of the Lebanese proceedings related to the same case, a judicial source confirmed to
The National.
The proximity of the two dates is “not an issue”, the source said.
Riad Salameh, Raja Salameh and an assistant were charged with money laundering, embezzlement and illicit enrichment in February.
The file was entrusted to Beirut first investigative judge Charbel Abou Samra, who will decide whether to pursue an indictment, which would lead to a trial.
Riad and Raja Salameh have repeatedly denied allegations of wrongdoing.