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Arrest at Bhannes Hospital
Lebanese security forces detained former Banque du Liban governor Riad Salameh inside Bhannes Hospital in Mount Lebanon on Friday after a search notice was issued when he repeatedly failed to appear for questioning.
“detained former central bank governor Riad Salameh inside Bhannes Hospital in Mount Lebanon”
Prosecutor General at the Court of Cassation Judge Ahmad Rami al-Hajj ordered the execution of the search warrant once patrols from the Internal Security Forces’ Information Branch and the Central Criminal Investigations Department confirmed Salameh was inside.
The case stems from Salameh’s refusal to appear in a lawsuit filed by Banque du Liban against him and former Bank Audi Chairman Samir Hanna over “serious suspicions concerning the management of financial flows at the bank during the financial crisis that began in 2019.”
A judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Salameh had “left no trick unused” in seeking to evade questioning, including submitting a medical excuse through his lawyer, Wassim Ghaoui, for a hearing ordered by al-Hajj to be held by noon on Thursday, July 30.
Health Claim and Search
L’Orient Today reported that Salameh was due for questioning at the Court of Cassation on Thursday but failed to appear after his lawyer cited a health emergency that the courts were unable to verify.
It said Judge Ahmad Rami al-Hajj issued a search and arrest order after prosecutors rejected a medical excuse submitted by Wassim Ghawi and security forces searched Salameh’s primary and secondary residences on Thursday, including properties in Safra, Faqra and Rabieh.
The outlet added that while on his way to the hearing, Salameh reportedly felt unwell and contacted the prosecutor’s office saying his blood pressure had risen to 230/130 and requesting medical attention.
L’Orient Today also said later Thursday that prosecutors determined Salameh had not been admitted to any hospital emergency department, and that the state-run National News Agency reported he was not found at any of the three addresses registered in his name in Safra, Faqra and Rabieh.
Bail, Pressure, and Next Steps
Alongside Salameh’s detention, the prosecutor also ordered the release of Samir Hanna on $1 million cash bail and gave him until Monday to pay the amount in cash.
“release on $1 million cash bail”
Asharq Al-Awsat reported that a senior legal source said Salameh feared being detained again and that the case could encourage people harmed by decisions he made as central bank governor to file dozens of lawsuits.
The same source told Asharq Al-Awsat that those cases could leave Salameh spending the rest of his life in prison, and said Salameh was haunted by the prospect of returning to the cell where he spent 13 months in solitary detention.
Asharq Al-Awsat further said Salameh was detained in early September after former Cassation Public Prosecutor Judge Jamal Hajjar questioned him at length in a case accused him of stealing $44 million in public funds belonging to the central bank.