Salameh's $42 Million Embezzlement Case Awaits Crucial Developments Next Week

A report by Bassam Abou Zeid, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

The case involving former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, accused of embezzling $42 million from a consultancy account at the Central Bank through the Optimum Invest firm has been postponed to next Tuesday before Beirut's First Investigative Judge Bilal Halawi. 

Sources following the case stated that next week, further testimonies will be seen from witnesses, including officials from the Central Bank. Salameh might also be summoned again if new information arises during the investigation that requires clarification from him.

The sources emphasized that Judge Halawi is committed to maintaining the investigation's confidentiality, adhering to legal procedures to prevent any loopholes that could lead to the suspension of the case, as seen in the Forry Associates case. 

In this context, reports revealed that Judge Halawi has referred the appeal submitted by Helena Iskandar, the head of the Cases Authority, regarding his decision to deny her request to join the case to the Financial Public Prosecution. This appeal will later be forwarded to the Indictment Division for review.

The sources also dismissed reports suggesting that some individuals failed to appear before the judge after being summoned, denying the existence of such instances. 

In this regard, Judge Halawi questioned lawyer Michel Toueini as a witness in the case involving Salameh. 

The Bar Association has also interrogated Toueini to decide on his prosecution next week, along with lawyer Marwan Issa El-Khoury. Khoury, who was supposed to testify as a witness, was unable to attend because he is currently abroad.

In a statement, Khoury claimed that the accusations against him are misleading, asserting that the sources of his wealth are well-documented and transparent.