A Lebanese judge has indicted former central bank governor Riad Salameh and former Bank Audi executive Samir Hanna over allegations of embezzlement, illicit enrichment and other financial crimes, according to a senior judicial source cited by Reuters.
The judge accused the two men of embezzling tens of millions of dollars from Lebanon’s central bank. The case also includes allegations that Hanna bribed Salameh while he was governor, marking the first time a commercial banker has been indicted in a financial crimes investigation linked to Salameh.
Salameh, who led Lebanon’s central bank for nearly three decades, is already facing other criminal cases over alleged financial misconduct during his tenure. He has denied wrongdoing and is currently in custody under medical supervision at a government hospital outside Beirut.
Hanna, 88, has been released on $1 million bail while investigations continue. He could not immediately be reached for comment, while Salameh did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request.
The latest case follows a criminal complaint filed by Lebanon’s central bank earlier this year involving a former central bank official, a banker and a lawyer. Authorities alleged that public funds were misused through offshore shell companies in the Cayman Islands.
Salameh has also faced investigations in France, Switzerland and Germany. His previous detention lasted about 13 months before he was released in September after paying bail of more than $14 million.
The expanded investigation signals growing scrutiny of Lebanon’s financial sector and the role of private banking figures in alleged financial misconduct linked to Salameh’s long tenure at the central bank.
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