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The world – Lebanon
According to the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, several companies founded by Salameh, accounts opened in Switzerland and “suspicious” contracts signed between his brother and the Bank of Lebanon, all the details revealed by the Swiss Prosecutor’s Office to the Lebanese authorities, requesting their cooperation due at the risk of this impact on the country and the Lebanese Central Bank.
Last January, the governor of the Banque du Liban, Riad Salameh, was put under the guillotine of the Swiss judiciary. He, along with his brother Raja Salameh, is suspected of misappropriation and laundering of BDL funds in Switzerland.
It is not a passing matter to open “corruption” files that are related to the governor of a central bank, it is an arbitration that means hitting the image of the bank, its position and its relations with the rest of the international financial institutions. This coincided with the governor’s disclosure to regulatory officials and those close to him that he was convinced that “the American cover” had been lifted. Then the discussion of the case declined abruptly, to the point where it was suggested that the file could be closed with a settlement. However, failing to discuss the details of the case against Salameh does not mean that it is hidden. On the contrary, Swiss judicial and diplomatic sources affirm that “the investigations are continuing in earnest.” He added in an interview with “Al-Akhbar” that preliminary investigations reveal the existence of “money laundering operations, at least since 2002, estimated at more than $ 300 million.” The thread that dropped the curtain is a contract signed between the Banque du Liban in the person of the ruler and the company “Forry Associates LTD” in the person of Raja Salameh, which is registered in the British Virgin Islands. The contract stipulates that “the company is an agent of the instruments offered by the Banque du Liban, such as Treasury bills, debt bonds in foreign currency, certificates of deposit …”.
Here the crime began: Salameh, in his capacity as governor of the Banque du Liban, makes a deal that extends for years with a company headed by his brother, which ensures for the latter the benefits of the public funds of the Banque du Liban . The Central Bank’s expenses with the aforementioned company were transferred to a bank account “at the Swiss HSBC Bank, belonging to Raja Salameh”.
Between 2002 and 2015, the Forry Associated LTD account reached amounts of around $ 334 million, sent from an account at the Banque du Liban, the sources added. Sums of money were transferred to Raja Salameh’s account also at “HSBC Switzerland” bank, from which he sent “$ 207 million to five banks in Lebanon.”
In 2008 a new “rabbit” appeared. A bank account was opened at the Swiss bank “Julius Barre” in the name of “Westlake Commercial Inc.” registered in Panama. The account is registered in the name of Riad Salameh. “The documents we obtained from the banks in question, indicating that between 2008 and 2012, the new account with Julius Barr received more than $ 7 million, transferred from the Forry Associated Company account.” That year also witnessed that “Salameh opened a bank account in the name of Banque du Liban with Julius Bar monopolizing the sale of Riad Salameh. The latter ordered the bank to transfer financial bonds in 2012 to Bank Audi Switzerland.”
In 2011, a new company appeared, registered under the name of Riad Salameh, “SI 2 SA”. He opened a bank account at the “EFG” bank in Switzerland, to which Westlake Commercial Inc. transferred 1.6 million Swiss francs. . Between 2011 and 2013, about 3 million Swiss francs were transferred to the company “SI 2 SA”, before the company paid 7 million and 300 thousand Swiss francs to the company “Red Street 10 sa” in 2019. The bank account is owned by Riad Salameh. In addition to the accounts of the three companies in Salama: “RED STREET 10 SA”, “SI 2 SA” and “Westlake Commercial Inc.”, the ruler had an account with “UBS AG” that received between 2012 and 2018 a total of $ 7.5 million, all of which were transferred from an account at the Banque du Liban. Swiss sources add that Salameh “opened an account in his name at Credit Suisse in 2016, to which more than $ 4 million was transferred between 2016 and 2019 from an account he owns at the Central Bank.” He then transferred from his account at the Banque du Liban “more than $ 5 million to an account at the Pictet CIE SA.” All these sums were “invested in the purchase of real estate and bonds.” It is noteworthy that Salama is an official employee who receives his salary in liras and remits abroad sums in dollars, which were bought in the “market” or through bank deposits with him, that is, the money of the depositors.
But what is the role of Marianne Hoyek? The sources respond that the assistant governor “owned two bank accounts, to which she made financial transfers between 2008 and 2013.” The two accounts held by Hawake and Salameh “were confiscated after the case was opened. Salameh’s assets were seized in Switzerland, estimated at tens of millions of dollars. However, the Swiss authorities have not established the “suspicion” about Hawaik, and are asking to hear him as the individual owner of a website authorizing him to provide information “useful for the investigation, and on the basis of which he is a mere witness. or suspicious. ” Whereas, the Salama brothers will be heard “as suspects.” In this case, it is essential to analyze how decisions are made within the Banque du Liban, the powers of the ruler, his uniqueness to make specific decisions, his exploitation of his position to carry out private operations, the transfer of sums, etc. Does the interrogation take place in Switzerland? Riad Salameh expressed his desire to do so, “but not necessarily, investigations can take place in Switzerland and can be carried out in Lebanon according to Swiss or Lebanese law.”
Al-Akhbar confirmed that Swiss sources consider the Lebanese authorities’ cooperation to be an important step, “especially in determining whether the crimes harm Lebanon and the Bank of Lebanon as a whole, and Lebanon must also determine whether it wants to confiscate the funds. held in Switzerland “.
