News - Reuters: Court in Beirut arrests ex-head of Lebanon's Central Bank

Lebanon's former central bank governor Riad Salameh was arrested on Tuesday after a court hearing in the capital, Beirut, Reuters reported, citing a senior judicial source.Salameh faces charges of financial crimes, including money laundering, embezzlement, and illicit enrichment. He denies all his offenses.The judicial source said Salameh was arrested at Lebanon's Palace of Justice after a hearing on the central bank's dealings with Optimum Invest, a Lebanese firm offering income brokerage services.According to the agency's source, Optimum agreed with Lebanon's central bank to buy and sell treasury bonds and certificates of deposit in Lebanese pounds sterling. In a statement on its website, the company said a financial audit found “no evidence of wrongdoing or illegality” in the company's dealings with Lebanon's central bank.Salameh, 73, was governor of Lebanon's central bank for 30 years until July 2023. In his final months as governor, France and Germany issued warrants for his arrest on corruption charges.