Former Lebanese Central Bank Governor Riyad Salama Faces Arrest and Charges

Three Lebanese judicial sources confirmed on Monday that an official arrest warrant had been issued for Riyad Salama, the former governor of the Bank of Lebanon, following a judicial hearing.

This development means Salama will be detained pending investigations into the allegations against him.

A judge began questioning Salama in Beirut on Monday, charging him with financial crimes, including theft of public funds, according to judicial sources.

Salama served as the Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon for three decades until July 2023, overseeing the country’s financial system.

The judge presiding over the case is expected to decide whether to detain or release Salama pending further questioning on charges of embezzlement, fraud, and illegal acquisition of wealth.

If the court proceedings move forward, it would mark a rare instance of a serving or former senior Lebanese official facing accountability in a system that critics argue has long protected the elite.

Salama was once highly respected in Lebanon as a skilled financial expert, but his reputation was damaged by allegations of corruption at home and abroad, as well as the catastrophic collapse of Lebanon’s financial system in 2019.

Salama’s media office stated that he would not comment publicly on the case to comply with the law, adding that he previously cooperated in over 20 criminal investigations in Beirut and Mount Lebanon and has been cooperating with investigations since his arrest.

Salama has consistently denied previous allegations of corruption.