Millions from Lebanon allegedly found in Swiss banks: report

Lebanon News
2023-02-27 | 09:26
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Millions from Lebanon allegedly found in Swiss banks: report
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Millions from Lebanon allegedly found in Swiss banks: report

Lebanon's Central Bank governor Riad Salameh, his brother Raja and assistant Marianne Hoayek were indicted on Thursday based on charges of money laundering, public funds' embezzlement, tax evasion, and falsification of documents as a result of an eighteen-month investigation in Lebanon, conducted in parallel to investigations in Switzerland and several EU countries.

According to a report published by SonntagsZeitung, the Salameh brothers are suspected of embezzling around 300 and 500 million US dollars, bringing them to Switzerland, and robbing the Central Bank.  

The case has international dimensions because most of the funds ended up in the accounts of twelve Swiss banks.  

The report alleged that the Salameh brothers are said to have transferred $330 million to Swiss accounts via the offshore company Forry Associates, registered in the British Virgin Islands, and then forwarded considerable sums to buy real estate in several EU states.  

Based on a Swiss newspaper's report, around $250 million went into Raja Salameh's account at the HSBC branch in Geneva. Further sums landed at UBS, Credit Suisse, Julius Baer, EFG, and Pictet.  

Based on confirmation by a spokesman, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland was one of the first authorities to initiate criminal proceedings on "serious suspicion of money laundering" in October 2020 about "embezzlement at the expense of the Banque du Liban."  

SonntagsZeitung also stated that the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) had conducted preliminary investigations against twelve Swiss banks for months. A spokesperson also added that against two financial institutions, an "enforcement procedure" was initiated in the "Lebanon context." 

  

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Lebanon News

Lebanon

Central Bank

Governor

Riad Salameh

Raja Salameh

Money Laundering

Public Funds

Embezzlement

Tax Evasion

Investigation

Lebanese

Switzerland

Banks

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