Salameh will appear before Lebanese judiciary on Wednesday

In a significant legal development, the Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh, is set to appear before the Lebanese judiciary on Wednesday, accompanied by his legal representative, to face money laundering charges brought against him in France.

The State Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat has appointed Attorney General Imad Qabalan to hear the case against Salameh in accordance with the French arrest warrant issued against him.

According to the available information, there will not be a decision to arrest Salameh. Instead, he will be released pending further investigation, but his travel will be restricted after his passports, including his French passport, are seized.

Oueidat will communicate with the French judiciary and inform them of implementing the red notice according to the mentioned procedures. He will also request the delivery of the extradition file, which is the file under which Salameh is being prosecuted in France.

The consultative ministerial meeting held at the Serail on Monday revealed that the political establishment, in its majority, stands by Salameh and does not favor his dismissal or resignation. Instead, they intend to let him complete his term until the end of July.

But what will happen to Salameh after the end of his term? Will he be prosecuted in Lebanon, or will he somehow leave for a non-extradition country under the auspices of Interpol, which has a membership of six countries? Or will he be handed over to one of the European countries that have accused him or requested his arrest, with Germany being the latest on Tuesday?

However, the French are pursuing the judicial case against Salameh until the end, without forgetting that Salameh holds French citizenship.

Simultaneously, Salameh's lawyers will appeal to Interpol regarding the red notice. If their request is denied, they will seek the return of the arrest warrant.

Therefore, the Lebanese public eagerly awaits the outcome, which will undoubtedly have significant ramifications for the country's financial sector and political landscape.