BEIRUT (Reuters) – A Lebanese judge overseeing a local case against central bank chief Riad Salameh has rejected a set of defence arguments presented by his lawyers, clearing the way for a June 15 hearing, a senior judicial source told Reuters on Thursday.
Salameh, his assistant Marianne Hoayek and his brother Raja are being investigated in Lebanon and at least five European countries on suspicion they may have taken more than $300 million from the central bank, to the detriment of the Lebanese state.
Critics have previously expressed doubts that the judiciary, where appointments largely depend on political support, would seriously investigate a figure of Salameh’s stature given his top-level political backing.
In November, Lebanon’s most senior judge said himself in a general comment that political meddling in judicial work had led to a chaotic situation that required a “revolution in approaches” to resolve.
The Salameh brothers deny the allegations. Hoayek and her lawyer have not been reachable by the media for comment.
The three have been charged with fraud and embezzlement in two separate cases in Lebanon, including a set of charges filed by Judge Helene Iskandar on behalf of the state.
Salameh’s lawyers had objected to Iskandar’s presence at a hearing in March in Beirut where European investigators questioned the central bank chief.
Presiding Judge Charbel Abou Samra tossed out their defence arguments, the judicial source told Reuters. He also set a new hearing date for Raja Salameh on June 15, the source added.
French prosecutors on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for Riad Salameh, the first issued from any of the foreign probes into him. Salameh called the warrant a legal violation and pledged to challenge it.
Salameh wants to end his 30-year tenure as the bank’s head when his latest term expires in July.
He has worked hand-in-glove with powerful figures but sources say some of his traditional support bases in Lebanon and abroad are starting to fray.
His departure would mark a milestone in the financial meltdown resulting from decades of profligate spending, corruption and unsustainable policies by Lebanon’s leaders.
(Reporting by Laila Bassam; Writing by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Alison Williams and Hugh Lawson)
