Riad Salameh's case: Judge Oueidat divides the forensic audit report into files, each of which will be referred to the competent judicial body

After the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Riad Salameh, the United States has joined the international legal track by opening an investigation into Salameh's case through the district attorney's office in southern New York, according to the "Financial Times" newspaper.

This means that Salameh is now subject to investigations in the United States and seven European countries: France, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Monaco, and Liechtenstein.

This article was originally published in and translated by the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar.

France has frozen his assets and properties and issued an arrest warrant against him, which led to his pursuit by Interpol, followed by Germany. His assets have also been frozen in Britain and Canada.

Similarly, Paris is investigating former French Central Bank Governor Christian Noyer on charges of receiving consulting fees from the Banque du Liban (BDL).

Salameh's bank accounts in Lebanon have been frozen in implementing the US sanctions decision, and his properties have been seized at the request of the Head of the Cases Authority at the Justice Ministry, Judge Helena Iskandar.

However, the General Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation, Judge Ghassan Oueidat, has completed the study of the forensic audit report. It is reported that starting Tuesday, he is expected to take steps to divide the report into several files, each of which will be referred to the competent judicial body.

In parallel, attention is turning to the date of Salameh's appearance before the accusatory body in Beirut on August 29.

Nonetheless, the authority faces a dilemma of being unable to notify the governor, as the Internal Security Forces unit responsible has failed to locate him.

Therefore, the only solution is to serve Salameh personally at his last known address, with the mayor, and at the courthouse, culminating in issuing an absentia arrest warrant against him if he fails to attend the session.

At this point, he can apply for the warrant's withdrawal in exchange for bail. Still, the execution of his request depends on the approval of two parties: the investigating judge and the public prosecutor.