Jordan rejects Israeli ‘lies’ over West Bank at UN Security Council

BEIRUT: A judicial delegation from France, Germany and Luxembourg will open its investigation into the actions of Lebanon’s central financial institution and its governor, Riad Salameh, in Beirut on Monday. It’s anticipated to proceed till Friday.

Salameh is dealing with prosecution in circumstances regarding cash transfers from Lebanon to banks in these European international locations, the sources of the funds and the extent to which they may be linked to corruption, cash laundering and monetary crimes in Europe.

Arab Information understands the Central Legal Investigation Division affiliated with the Public Prosecution Workplace in Lebanon has knowledgeable those that have been known as for questioning of the dates on which they’re anticipated to attend the Justice Palace in Beirut, starting early subsequent week. They embody 15 banking officers, together with present and former vice-governors of the central financial institution. Salameh himself is not going to be questioned at this stage, a judicial supply mentioned.

In March 2022, European authorities froze $130 million of Lebanese belongings, and focused Salameh and 4 individuals near him for investigation in relation to alleged embezzlement of public funds.

Choose Ghassan Oweidat, Lebanon’s public prosecutor, met on Thursday with a diplomatic delegation from the embassies of France, Germany and Luxembourg on the Justice Palace. The Lebanese judiciary has expressed disapproval of the way in which it’s being handled within the case.

Lebanese authorities have been formally knowledgeable by letter {that a} judicial delegation from the three European international locations could be arriving in Lebanon to conduct their investigation. The delegation contains public prosecutors and specialist monetary judges, who advised Lebanese authorities about their go to within the letter with out formally requesting authorization to conduct their investigation.

This was a wierd and an unprecedented transfer, in response to the judicial supply, who additionally questioned what it means for the sovereignty and relevance of the Lebanese state if overseas international locations can merely grant themselves the authority to conduct investigations on its soil.

He additionally mentioned it was stunning that the representatives of the three European international locations had solely knowledgeable the Lebanese judiciary of the date of the delegation’s arrival in Beirut to conduct its investigation and the names of the people to be questioned, with out requesting the judiciary’s help or cooperation. This undermines and violates the authority of the Lebanese judiciary, he added.

“The overseas judicial delegation doesn’t have the suitable to reach in Lebanon and conduct investigations with out a letter of request,” the supply mentioned.

“The Conference in opposition to Corruption signed by Lebanon requires it to satisfy the calls for of overseas judicial authorities, supplied that they adjust to the Lebanese legal guidelines.”

Salameh has confronted harsh criticism for his financial insurance policies and monetary engineering operations, which have been blamed for contributing to the buildup of debt and eventual collapse of Lebanon’s financial system.

The French monetary judiciary has been investigating him since 2021 on costs of cash laundering and embezzlement. He has been governor of the central financial institution since 1993 and his time period is ready to finish in Might.

Switzerland has additionally been investigating allegations of embezzlement within the central financial institution, with Salameh and his brother the primary suspects.

Throughout their assembly, Choose Oweidat and the delegates went by the due course of adopted by Lebanon in such circumstances. The investigation will happen on the corridor of the Court docket of Cassation on the Justice Palace in Beirut and the judicial supply mentioned Oweidat and the delegates agreed a protocol to be adopted through the investigation. It requires investigators to direct their inquiries to witnesses by Lebanese judges who will probably be current through the periods, reasonably then on to the people being questioned, who’ve the suitable to have attorneys current.

“If the European judges wish to make any claims, they need to accomplish that of their international locations and never through the investigation periods in Lebanon,” the judicial supply mentioned.

“After the declare, a refund request ought to be despatched to Lebanon. What is for certain is that no motion will be taken in opposition to any Lebanese who was interrogated and investigated through the listening to.”

The supply mentioned the Lebanese judiciary can’t extradite any Lebanese citizen to some other nation for prosecution within the case, even when there are signed conventions in place between the international locations. Any prosecution of a Lebanese citizen will happen in Lebanese territory, much like what occurred within the case of Ziad Takieddine, he added.

Takieddine is a 72-year-old Lebanese-French businessman accused by the French judiciary of monetary crimes. He was a key witness in an investigation into alleged Libyan financing of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2007 election marketing campaign. He advised French investigators in 2016 that he gave Sarkozy and his workplace supervisor €5 million ($5.3 million) to fund Sarkozy’s marketing campaign. He was detained in Lebanon in 2020 and the place he confronted a French investigation however was tried by the Lebanese judiciary.

Equally, in 2021 French investigators visited Lebanon to query Lebanese businessman Carlos Ghosn. Their questions have been directed to a Lebanese decide who, in flip, put them to Ghosn.

The judicial supply added: “The French know this protocol in Lebanon as a result of they’ve skilled it earlier than.”