Months after being released on a substantial bail payment, former Banque du Liban Governor Riad Salameh has returned to detention.
Officers from Lebanon’s Central Criminal Investigations Department arrested him after surrounding all entrances to Bhannes Hospital, where he had been receiving medical care.
The arrest was carried out under a search and investigation notice issued by the Public Prosecution at the Court of Cassation, one day after authorities surrounded his home in an attempt to bring him in.
The move aims to prevent any further delays and ensure the continuation of investigations into alleged financial misconduct during his long tenure as governor of Banque du Liban. The case involves suspected financial subscriptions and fictitious commissions channelled through parallel banking mechanisms, with an estimated total value of around USD 266 million.
These developments follow a visit in mid-June by Appellate Public Prosecutor Judge Samaranda Nassar, who questioned Salameh at his home on the instructions of Judge Al-Hajj, in consideration of his health condition.
He was later summoned to appear again at a public hearing today. After failing to attend, the judiciary dispatched a patrol to bring him in.
