Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Sep 04, 2025

French judge issues arrest warrant for Lebanese central bank governor

French judge issues arrest warrant for Lebanese central bank governor

A French investigative judge on Tuesday issued an international arrest warrant for Riad Salameh, Lebanon’s central bank governor, after he failed to appear for questioning on corruption charges.
Salameh was supposed to appear before French prosecutors as part of an ongoing European probe, and Judge Aud Bourizi issued the warrant in Paris.

A European judicial team from France, Germany, and Luxembourg has been conducting a corruption investigation into an array of financial crimes it alleges were committed by Salameh and a long list of his associates from Lebanon’s central bank, as well as commercial banks and auditing companies. The allegations include illicit enrichment and laundering of $330 million.

Salameh, 72, who has held his post for 30 years, has repeatedly denied all allegations against him. He has insisted that his wealth comes from his previous job as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch, inherited properties, and investments.

The Lebanese judiciary informed the French judiciary five days ago that they could not trace Salameh in his office at the central bank after three attempts to notify him to appear before the Paris court on the scheduled date of May 16.

Salameh was previously investigated by a European judicial delegation that visited Beirut three times. Investigators also questioned the current Minister of Finance Youssef Khalil, as well as a number of former deputies of the governor of the central bank, presidents of the boards of directors of Lebanese banks, employees of the central bank, and auditors of central bank accounts.

Salameh said in a statement that he will “appeal the decision of Judge Bourizi, which constitutes a clear violation of the laws, and was made based on preconceived ideas without giving any value to the clear documents presented before her.”

Salameh said the decision was a blatant violation of the most basic laws as the judge did not respect the legal deadlines stipulated in French law, despite being informed and aware of them.

He said that the French judge had “violated the application of the 2003 UN Convention and internationally recognized procedures on which it relies, particularly in the context of international judicial assistance.”

He added that the French investigation violated a fundamental principle related to the confidentiality of investigations as it had become clear from recent press articles that media agencies had obtained confidential documents without any restrictions and were aware in advance of the intentions of the investigators and judges.

Salameh said that “the events that accompanied the French investigations contradict the principle of the presumption of innocence in their dealings, and the selective application of texts and laws.”

He also accused Bourizi of interfering in the process of appointing French lawyers for the Lebanese state.

Salameh called the French decision “justice built on double standards.”

Salameh earlier accused a group of “civilians, journalists, and politicians of fabricating facts” and said that he felt there had been a thirst to accuse him for more than two years.

Salameh has been in office as the governor of the central bank since 1993, and his term ends in July.

Salameh, his brother Raja, and the governor’s former assistant Marianne Hoayek are scheduled to appear before the Lebanese judiciary on Thursday.

The Lebanese judiciary has previously accused Salameh of embezzlement, money laundering, forgery, using forged documents, breach of duty, and tax evasion.

The Lebanese Kataeb Party accused “the ruling authority of saving Salameh from appearing before the French judiciary to escape from the crimes committed by this authority.”

It added that “pursuing Salameh before the judiciary makes his continued stay in his position unacceptable and necessitates his resignation; otherwise, it constitutes a new insult to the Lebanese people, who were the first victims of the financial crimes that he committed in collusion and solidarity with influential persons.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
×