Salameh probe suspended after he files lawsuits against state

Former Central Bank governor Riad Salameh has filed lawsuits against the state, alleging that judges have committed errors in handling his file.

The lawsuits force the judges looking into his case to suspend their work pending a decision from the general commission of the Court of Cassation, which is currently inactive due to a dispute over the sectarian balance in the appointment of its members.

Caretaker Finance Minister Youssef Khalil, who is loyal to Speaker Nabih Berri, had refused to sign the decree of appointments, arguing that the addition of a chamber to the court had raised the number of Christian judges from five to six wheres it still comprises only five Muslim judges.

The Court’s paralysis has also forced the suspension of the probe into the 2020 Beirut port blast catastrophe.

Informed sources told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper that Berri has overlooked a draft law submitted by a number of MPs for amending a legal article allowing the suspension of legal cases upon the filing of lawsuits against the state by the plaintiffs.

“Had it been approved, this law would have guaranteed the resumption of several cases, including the investigations into the port crime and the financial crimes,” the sources said.

Once lauded for reviving Lebanon's economy, Salameh left office on July 31 after three decades in the job, wanted abroad and reviled at home after years of financial meltdown.

The 73-year-old French-Lebanese national is widely viewed as a key culprit in the country's dramatic economic crash, which the World Bank called one of the worst in recent history.

Salameh is also wanted by authorities in France and Germany for alleged financial crimes, with Interpol issuing Red Notices targeting him. Lebanon does not extradite its citizens.

One of the world's longest-serving central bank governors, he faces numerous accusations including embezzlement, money laundering and tax evasion in separate probes in Lebanon and abroad.

Salameh has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and defended his legacy.

European delegations have made several trips this year to Beirut to question Salameh, his brother and others in his close circle.

In March 2022, France, Germany and Luxembourg seized assets worth $130 million in a move linked to a French probe into Salameh's personal wealth.

Earlier this year, Lebanon charged him with embezzlement, money laundering and tax evasion.

The domestic probe was opened following a request for assistance from Switzerland's public prosecutor, who is investigating more than $300 million in fund movements by Salameh and his brother.

In February, Swiss media reported that 12 banks in the country had received up to $500 million in money Salameh is alleged to have embezzled.