Brother of the head of the central bank of Lebanon misses hearing on fraud

 


A session in Beirut on Tuesday with European investigators looking into whether the brothers misappropriated and laundered hundreds of millions of dollars in public monies over a decade was missed by the central bank governor of Lebanon's brother.

Along with his brother Raja, Governor Riad Salameh is under investigation in Lebanon and at least five other European nations for allegedly stealing more than $300 million from the central bank by charging bond buyers commissions and then transferring the money to Raja's company, Forry Associates.

The brothers dispute their guilt. A plea for comment on Tuesday went unanswered from Raja's, 62, attorney.

Raja was scheduled to be questioned as part of the investigation on Tuesday morning by European investigators who arrived in Beirut on Monday.

His lawyer briefly attended the session to inform the judge that the defendant was sick, according to a senior judicial source who spoke to Reuters.

The governor, 72, has in the past refuted accusations of misappropriation by asserting that the commissions were not public cash.

French authorities claim that money obtained from Forry was used to buy "numerous" properties in Europe and the UK, according to court records.

According to the documents, Riad is suspected by the prosecution of using false financial records in Raja's name to conceal illegitimate sources of money.

Over the course of two days in March, European investigators questioned the governor in Beirut about the central bank's connections to Forry, his holdings overseas, the source of his fortune, and transfers he made to friends and family.

The detectives are back to continue questioning Raja and a helper named Marianne Houayek.

The three have not yet been legally and publicly charged in the European nations under investigation despite having been accused of financial crimes in two separate cases in Lebanon.

Riad has been notified by French prosecutors that they aim to file fraud and aggravated money laundering accusations at a hearing scheduled for May 16 in France.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sudan's Conflict Sparks Concerns Over Regional Stability

Image
  After months of increasing tension, an open military conflict erupted last week between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group. This conflict is particularly alarming given that both groups were once close allies and had worked together to seize control of the country after ousting former President Omar al-Bashir in 2019. However, the relationship between the two groups has been deteriorating due to several reasons, including differing views on integrating the RSF into the military and a sensitive plan for a transition to civilian rule. The latest conflict has resulted in over 410 fatalities, with numerous hospitals going out of service and many people trapped in their homes. The situation has led to depleting essential supplies, and only a few humanitarian organizations are currently operating in Sudan . Countries like Germany, South Korea, and the US are struggling to find ways to evacuate their embassy staff, while ceasefires have not h
Read more

MPs from the opposition criticise Hezbollah's tactics

Image
  Three MPs from the Change movement (Waddah Sadek, Mark Daou, and Michel Doueihy) as well as members of the Kataeb Party, Lebanese Forces, and Renewal Party criticised the military exercises Hezbollah conducted last Sunday on Friday. These exercises, in which 200 Hezbollah fighters took part in Aaramta, southern Lebanon , according to a joint statement signed by 31 MPs and read in Parliament, "are part of the militia practises it has been exercising in the country for years, contradicting the principles of the state in all its components." According to their statement, Hezbollah "no longer has a place in Lebanese political life and has been rejected by the majority of Lebanese people." This party "cannot impose political, military, security, or economic agendas on the country" and "has no right whatsoever to push Lebanon into conflicts that serve its regional project," they stressed. Also declaring that "Lebanon cannot coexist with a mini-s
Read more

Iran celebrates Jerusalem Day in favour of the Palestinians

Image
  For Jerusalem Day, an annual demonstration of sympathy for the Palestinians, tens of thousands of Iranians marched through Tehran's centre on Friday as others shouted "death to America" and "death to Israel ." President Ebrahim Raisi and other senior Iranian leaders were present during the gathering. The protests commemorating what is also known as Al-Quds Day have generally been conducted on the final Friday of the holy month of Ramadan since Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979. East Jerusalem was taken by Israel during the Middle East War of 1967 and added to its capital. The Palestinians want Jerusalem's eastern sector to serve as their future capital. The Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, is located in Jerusalem. The complex, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is also considered to be the holiest place in Judaism. Mohammad Qalibaf, the speaker of the parliament, told protesters that Israel is the "root" of the issues in the a
Read more