Judiciary postpones hearing of ailing Salameh
Lebanon's judiciary postponed a Thursday hearing for former central bank governor Riad Salameh over alleged embezzlement after he failed to show up due to illness, a judicial official told AFP.
Salameh, who headed the central bank from 1993 to July 2023, is accused of having amassed a fortune during his time in the job and has faced numerous accusations including embezzlement and tax evasion in probes in Lebanon and abroad.
The 76-year-old has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has insisted he is being made a "scapegoat" for the country's economic collapse, which began in 2019.
He was due to appear in court Thursday in connection with a complaint filed by new bank governor Karim Soueid over alleged embezzlement, illicit enrichment and money laundering.
The central bank previously told AFP it was the "victim of the embezzlement of funds amounting to several hundred million euros, committed at its expense by its former governor, Mr. Riad Salameh, with the assistance of several individuals in his circle."
A judge had directed authorities to escort Salameh to court after he failed to appear at the hearing.
Instead Salameh decided to go voluntarily accompanied by his lawyer but "fell ill while heading to the justice palace," the official said, and the judiciary decided to postpone the hearing.
Last month, an initial hearing was held at Salameh's home due to his deteriorating health, with a judge presiding over his questioning.
He was arrested in September 2024 and charged with offenses including the alleged embezzlement of $44 million from the central bank.
He was released a year later after posting record bail of over $14 million but was barred from travelling.
He has also been the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by French authorities since May 2023.
In May, the Swiss subsidiary of British bank HSBC was formally indicted in Paris. Investigators suspect it helped Salameh embezzle funds.
Source: Agence France Presse
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