Salameh to appeal Interpol warrant today, cabinet to convene Friday

Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh will file Tuesday an appeal against an Interpol red notice issued against him in France over corruption charges.

Public prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat on Monday summoned Salameh for questioning following the international arrest warrant.

Also on Monday, ministers debated Salameh's case in a consultative meeting, as local media reports said that some ministers asked for the dismissal of Salameh while others preferred to keep him in his post until a judicial decision is taken.

In a cabinet session on Friday, ministers will decide whether or not to dismiss Salameh from his post.

Salameh has held his post for almost 30 years and intends to step down after his current term ends in July. He said in an interview with Saudi-owned TV station Al-Hadath last week that he would resign only if he was convicted of a crime but dismissed the accusations against him as "not a judicial case, but a political case.”

Officials in Beirut said that Oueidat will formally ask France to hand over the governor's case files to decide on future measures against Salameh.

Asked whether it is possible to hand the former governor over to France, the officials — who spoke on condition of anonymity — said Lebanon does not hand its citizens to foreign countries and the case will be overseen in Lebanon. They added that once Oueidat receives the case files from France, he will decide whether Salameh should face justice in Lebanon or elsewhere.

In 2020, the Lebanese prosecution received two Interpol red notices for tycoon Carlos Ghosn, who faced financial misconduct charges in Japan. Ghosn remains in Lebanon.