Hammoud Replies to Berri: All Lebanese Banks Transferred Funds Abroad
Chairman of the Banking Control Commission of Lebanon (BCCL) Samir Hammoud replied to Speaker Nabibh Berri’s statement on Friday saying that all Lebanese banks, not just five of them, have transferred a total of $2.3 billion to banks in Switzerland after the October 17 uprising.
“Reports that owners of five Lebanese banks have transferred $2.3 billion are inaccurate. According to our information, the entire Lebanese banks, not just five of them, have sent funds equivalent to that amount to Swiss banks between October 17, 2019 and January 10, 2020,” said Hammoud in remarks to the daily.
“BCCL is aware of the total amounts transferred to Switzerland, but the committee does not have the legal right to know the owners, and therefore there are no known names at all,” added Hammoud.
On Wednesday, during his weekly Ain el-Tineh meeting with lawmakers, Berri said he managed to “confirm” that the owners of five Lebanese banks have sent their “personal money” abroad, estimated at $2.3 billion, despite the informal capital controls that have been imposed on depositors since November.
Source: Naharnet
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