BEIRUT: Former Lebanese central bank chief Riad Salameh, who was arrested on Tuesday over alleged financial crimes, will remain in detention until a hearing is scheduled, likely next week, two judicial sources told Reuters on Wednesday.
After Salameh is interrogated, the presiding judge can decide whether to keep him in detention, the sources said, adding that no decision had yet been taken on the matter. One of them said the judge was expected to schedule a hearing for early next week.
Reuters could not immediately reach Salameh’s lawyer for comment.
Salameh, 73, was the bank governor for 30 years but his final years were marred by the collapse of Lebanon’s financial system along with charges of financial crimes, including illicit enrichment through public funds, by authorities in Lebanon and several Western countries.
Two judicial sources told Reuters on Tuesday that Salameh had been held on charges of accruing more than $110 million via financial crimes involving Optimum Invest, a Lebanese firm that offers income brokerage services.
The authorities have not published the charges against him.
Neither Salameh nor his lawyer responded to requests for comment on Tuesday. Salameh has previously denied all accusations of financial crimes.
Tuesday’s charges are separate from previous charges of financial crimes linked to Forry Associates, a company controlled by Salameh’s brother, Raja. The brothers — who deny any wrongdoing — were accused of using Forry to divert $330 million in public funds through commissions.
Lebanon’s Salameh to remain in detention until hearing is scheduled, sources say
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Lebanon’s Salameh to remain in detention until hearing is scheduled, sources say
- After Salameh is interrogated, the presiding judge can decide whether to keep him in detention, the sources said
- The judge was expected to schedule a hearing for early next week
Spain highlights importance of Gaza reconstruction
- Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway
RAMALLAH: The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, and the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, on Friday discussed the latest developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
During their telephone conversation they emphasized the need to intensify international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and halt attacks and settler violence, and to secure the release of Palestinian funds held by Israeli authorities.
They affirmed the importance of ongoing efforts relating to plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, and Europe’s significant role in this process. Mustafa and Albares highlighted the need to unify Palestinian institutions in Gaza with those in the West Bank, with the aim of establishing a Palestinian state in line with international resolutions, including last year’s New York Declaration.
They also discussed coordination between their countries, and the strengthening of Spain’s political, diplomatic and financial support for Palestine, and Mustafa thanked Spain for its ongoing support.
Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway. Estephan Salameh, the Palestinian finance and planning minister, is set to visit Spain this month to discuss enhanced cooperation, particularly in the areas of development and reconstruction. Meanwhile, Israel continues operating in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Prisoners media office said on Friday that Israel carried out numerous raids across the territory, including the major cities of Ramallah and Hebron, according to The Associated Press.
Nearly 50 people were detained, following the arrest of at least 50 other Palestinians on Thursday, most of those in the Ramallah area.
As 2026 begins, the shaky 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely ended large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
But Palestinians are still being killed by Israeli fire, especially along the so-called Yellow Line that delineates areas under Israeli control, and the humanitarian crisis is compounded by frequent winter rains and colder temperatures.
On Friday, American actor and film producer Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
The only crossing between the territory and a country other than Israel, it remains closed despite Palestinian requests to reopen it to people and aid.
Jolie met with members of the Red Crescent on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing and then visited a hospital in the nearby city of Arish to speak with Palestinian patients on Friday, according to Egyptian officials.
Aid groups say not enough shelter materials are getting into Gaza during the truce.
