Lebanon’s former central bank governor, Riad Salameh, has been arrested after questioning at the country’s judicial palace, according to Lebanese state media and judiciary officials cited by international outlets.
The arrest is a major development in a case that has shadowed one of Lebanon’s most powerful financial figures for years. Salameh led the Banque du Liban for 30 years, leaving office at the end of July 2023 without a successor. His final years in office were dominated by allegations that he had used public funds for illicit gain and overseen practices that helped worsen Lebanon’s collapse.
State media said Judge Jamal al-Hajjar, the public prosecutor, detained the 73-year-old after interrogating him on Tuesday. Reuters and the Associated Press, citing unnamed judicial sources, said the questioning lasted more than three hours and covered several financial matters, including a case tied to a company called Optimum Invest.
According to those judicial sources, one line of inquiry centered on allegations that Salameh earned more than $110 million through financial crimes involving Optimum, a Lebanese brokerage firm. The accusations cited by the reports include embezzlement, money laundering and fraud connected to commissions from the central bank’s dealings with the firm between 2015 and 2018.
Salameh has repeatedly denied corruption, embezzlement and illicit enrichment. He has said his wealth came from inherited property, investments and earlier work at Merrill Lynch. Those denials have not stopped multiple investigations outside Lebanon. French authorities want him on financial-crime allegations, and Interpol has issued red notices.
The arrest does not resolve those international cases, but it is notable because Lebanon does not extradite its citizens. That makes domestic proceedings especially important in determining whether any allegations will lead to punishment. Officials said Salameh was transferred to a more secure prison and would remain in custody while the inquiry continues.
Caretaker Justice Minister Henry Khoury said the judiciary had spoken and the government would respect the decision. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the government would not intervene. Those comments suggest Beirut wants to signal deference to the courts after years in which Salameh’s status has been politically and socially explosive.
For many Lebanese, the case is inseparable from the country’s financial crisis, which began in late 2019 and wiped out savings, triggered a banking collapse and destroyed trust in institutions. Salameh has long been blamed by critics for that collapse, though supporters have argued that the crisis had broader political and fiscal roots.
Tuesday’s detention shows that, even after leaving office, Lebanon’s former central bank chief remains a central figure in efforts to answer for the country’s financial disaster.
