2025-08-26T20:40:19+00:00

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Shafaq News – Beirut

Lebanon’s judiciary on Tuesday ordered the release of
former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh on $20 million bail, according to
local media.

Al-Jadeed TV reported that the Beirut Indictment
Chamber, led by Judge Nasib Ilyas, issued the decision, which defense attorney
Marc Habka rejected as “illegal.”

Salameh, who served as Central Bank governor from 1993
to 2023, faces charges of embezzlement, money laundering, and illicit
enrichment in both Lebanon and several foreign jurisdictions. He has been under
investigation amid widespread accusations of mismanagement linked to the
country’s financial collapse.

The former governor was arrested in September 2024
after appearing before Public Prosecutor Jamal Hajjar, triggering legal
disputes over the length of his detention. Under Article 108 of Lebanon’s
Criminal Procedure Code, felony suspects can be held for up to six months,
renewable once, yet Salameh has remained in custody for over a year.