Lebanese judiciary questions BDL's Salameh over German arrest warrant

In a significant development, Riad Salameh, the governor of Banque du Liban (BDL), appeared before Attorney General Judge Imad Qabalan for questioning regarding the contents of the international Red Notice circulated through Interpol.

 

This questioning was based on an absentia arrest warrant issued by the Public Prosecutor in Munich, Germany, accusing Salameh of crimes including money laundering, fraud, embezzlement, and illicit enrichment.

This hour-long interrogation session marked the second of its kind, as Salameh had undergone a similar session last week in response to a warrant issued against him by French judge Aude Buresi for the exact charges.

However, a judicial source informed "Al-Anbaa" that Judge Qabalan "took the same measures as in the previous session, which included subjecting Salameh to the investigation, imposing a travel ban, and verifying that he possesses no passport other than the Lebanese and French passports that have been confiscated as part of the French case."

The source also revealed that Judge Qabalan "sent a copy of the session transcript, along with a letter, to the German judiciary through the Interpol General Secretariat, requesting access to Salameh's file and taking the necessary legal action."

Furthermore, Wadih Akl, a member of the Political Council of the Free Patriotic Movement and a lawyer, announced that Riad Salameh had recorded audio and video testimonies discussing his relationships with political leaders in Lebanon and the brokerage operations between them.

Akl then stated that Salameh "handed over these tapes and recordings to a foreign company for protection in case of kidnapping or assassination." He further indicated that "these recordings and documents compelled Lebanese politicians to protect Salameh to safeguard themselves."