Lebanon’s former central bank governor, Riad Salameh, was apprehended during a judicial hearing in Beirut on Tuesday, a judicial source told Reuters.
Salameh has been charged with financial crimes including money laundering, embezzlement and illicit enrichment. He denies all wrongdoing.
Salameh was questioned for three hours over suspected embezzlement from the central bank exceeding $40m as part of commissions earned through the central bank’s dealings with Lebanese firm Optimum Invest between 2015-2018, judicial sources told AFP and Reuters.
The brokerage firm dealt with the bank to buy and sell treasury bonds and certificates of deposit with quick turnovers to make major profits.
Judicial authorities have accused Salameh of amassing more than $110m through financial crimes involving Optimum Invest, two sources said, speaking to Reuters.
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