The disgraced former governor of the central bank, known as Banque du Liban, left his post on July 31 after serving in the role since 1993. Once feted as a financial genius, Salameh now has a tarnished legacy due to the collapse of Lebanon’s banking sector and corruption charges at home and abroad.
In February, Lebanon charged him with embezzlement, money laundering and tax evasion.
In May, French and German authorities also issued warrants for his arrest, with Interpol red notices declaring him wanted by both countries on charges of money laundering.
In March of last year, France, Germany and Luxembourg seized assets worth 120 million euros ($135m) in an investigation into his wealth.
A European diplomatic source has said that Salameh will soon be tried in Paris.
Salameh has said he has been made a scapegoat for Lebanon’s crippling economic crisis.
Decades of corruption by state officials have led Lebanon’s currency to lose 98 percent of its value against the US dollar. Many people hold Salameh and his associates responsible, accusing them of mismanagement of the country’s economy.
Source : Aljazeera
