Lebanon imposes travel ban on central bank chief wanted by France

Beirut [Lebanon], May 25: Embattled Lebanese central bank governor RiadSalameh was banned from leaving the country by a judge in Beirut on Wednesday and had his passports confiscated, a court source told DPA. Judge ImadQabalan issued the travel ban and seized Salameh's French and Lebanese passports after questioning him at a hearing on Wednesday, the source added. The order comes about a week after a French court issued an international arrest warrant for Salameh as part of an investigation into his assets.
The Lebanese Interior Ministry received a "red notice" from Interpol following the French court's decision, a judicial source said.The central bank governor is accused of having amassed significant assets across Europe through fraud.Earlier this year, investigators from Germany, France and Luxembourg began investigating Salameh and his associates for a range of potential financial crimes and cases of money laundering amounting to $330 million. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune