Lebanon postpones ex-central bank governor's hearing: Judicial official

Lebanon's judiciary postponed a hearing scheduled Wednesday for former central bank governor Riad Salameh, accused of embezzling more than $300 million from the central bank, a judicial source told AFP.

The hearing was related to allegations that $330 million was transferred from the central bank of Lebanon to "Forry Associates," a company registered in the British Virgin Islands. Salameh faces accusations including embezzlement, money laundering and illicit enrichment in the case.

According to the judicial source, the postponement was due to a lawsuit filed against the judge overseeing the case.

Salameh has not appeared in court since his release in September. However, two weeks ago, he was questioned at his home by Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation Samaranda Nassar over a separate complaint filed against him by current central bank governor Karim Souaid. A second hearing in that case is scheduled for July 30, according to the source.

The central bank of Lebanon announced on Jan. 8, 2026, that it had filed a criminal complaint in Lebanon against Salameh and a former banking official, without naming them, over allegations including the misuse of central bank funds, illicit enrichment and suspected money laundering.

Said has previously said that legal actions pursued by Lebanon domestically and abroad, including in France, Switzerland, Germany and Luxembourg, aim to recover the bank's funds and ensure that any recovered amounts are used exclusively to repay depositors.

The central bank said in response to AFP inquiries that it had suffered the embezzlement of hundreds of millions of dollars, allegedly carried out by its former governor "with the assistance of several people from his circle."