A German court has cancelled its arrest warrant for Lebanon’s former central bank governor Riad Salameh, the Munich prosecutor’s office confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday.
Salameh, now 73, held his role as governor at Banque du Liban from 1993 to 2023 – until July last year. In his final months as governor, Germany issued an arrest warrant for him on money laundering and corruption charges, among others.
Although the warrant has been dropped, a spokeswoman from the prosecutor’s office told Reuters that their “investigations are ongoing.” The cancellation came after an appeal from the defendant, and because he no longer holds the post “there is no longer any risk that he will suppress evidence in this function.’
The former central bank chief declined Reuters’ request for comment on the matter.
Despite this, Salameh and his brother Raja are being investigated in Lebanon and at least five other European countries for allegedly laundering millions of dollars abroad to build a property empire – funds which he had taken from Lebanon’s central bank. The brothers denied the accusations.
Germany and France issued an arrest warrant last year, and Interpol issued a Red Notice for the then-governor, citing charges for money laundering, fraud, and participation in a criminal association. Earlier this year, Germany confirmed it was conducting investigations into Salameh and his brother.
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