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The Lebanese judiciary received a correspondence from the Swiss authorities, including a request for assistance in a criminal investigation, which it is carrying out on financial transfers belonging to the governor of the Banque du Liban, Riad Salameh, and his associates, according to a report yesterday high judicial source.
The correspondence involved transfers worth $ 400 million, belonging to Salama, his brother, his assistant and institutions affiliated with the Central Bank, including Middle East Airlines and Lebanon Casino, according to the source.
Salama’s office denied, in a statement: “All the complaints about alleged financial transfers that he made abroad, either in his name, in the name of his brother or in the name of his assistance”, considering them “fabrications and false news that have foundation. “
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is often critical of Salameh and the banking sector, was the first to report that Lebanon received the correspondence in its number issued yesterday. He affirmed that the investigations are carried out within a file that includes a large number of Lebanese personalities, according to a “list of suspicions”, drawn up “in cooperation between France, Great Britain and the United States.”
There were no official comments from the Swiss side in this regard.
The correspondence was “under study by the attorney general of cassation, Judge Ghassan Oweidat”, according to the judicial source told the “Agence France Presse”, explaining that Lebanon received it “directly from the Swiss embassy in Beirut”, from “unusual way, and from external diplomatic channels.”
The correspondence requests, according to the source, to provide the Swiss authorities with answers to a series of questions that should be posed to Salameh and the two mentioned persons. But “it did not contain evidence or documents to prove or reinforce the suspicions of which it speaks.” The source said: “If they hand over this evidence to Lebanon, the case would be the subject of a crime and will be prosecuted” by the Lebanese judiciary.
Lebanon’s political parties held Salameh responsible for the collapse of the national currency. And harshly criticize the monetary policies it has adopted in recent years, as it has accumulated debt. However, Salameh repeatedly defended himself, stating that the Central Bank “financed the state, but did not spend the money.”
Analysts and observers speak of political leaders and officials, including Salama, transferring huge sums of money from their accounts abroad, following the unprecedented popular demonstrations that broke out in October 2019 against the political class.
And these funds were transferred despite the imposition of strict restrictions by banks that prevent the transfer of large sums abroad.
The Lebanese judiciary is investigating these transfers, with estimates ranging from one billion to more than two billion dollars. The judiciary had previously sent several correspondence to the Swiss authorities, providing them with information about these transfers. However, she “ignored his requests,” according to the source.
– Salama’s office denied “all accusations of financial transfers abroad.”
Political parties in Lebanon hold Salameh responsible for the collapse of the currency.
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