Lebanese authorities have formally indicted former central bank governor Riad Salame on accusations of embezzlement, forgery, and illicit enrichment involving $44.8 million, according to judicial sources. The charges come nearly ten months after a decision was made to bring him to trial.
Salame, aged 75, who served as the head of Banque du Liban for three decades before his resignation in July 2023, faces the allegations alongside two legal advisers. The case revolves around consulting accounts at the central bank, where funds were allegedly deposited and subsequently redirected into private accounts without the institution’s knowledge, officials said.
Former Mount Lebanon public prosecutor Judge Ghada Aoun called the indictment a significant step, but noted that the sum involved represents only a fraction of a larger investigation, in which she claims over $8 billion was misappropriated from public funds.
The charges follow a Beirut court’s ruling last year to send Salame to trial, marking the first formal legal action against him within Lebanon, despite ongoing international probes.
The country’s central bank has stated it is pursuing the recovery of the allegedly stolen funds and intends to join as a plaintiff in related cases.
Salame was released on bail last year and prohibited from traveling. Along with his brother, he is under investigation for money laundering and embezzlement in several European nations, including France and Switzerland.