Suspect in European judicial mission is CBL chief's brother: Lebanon

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen Net
8 Jan 09:54

Lebanon's Public Prosecutor, Judge Ghassan Oweidat, says that an action plan has been agreed upon with the European judicial delegation.

A view of Lebanon's Central Bank building in Beirut, Lebanon April 23, 2020. (Reuters)

Lebanon's Public Prosecutor, Judge Ghassan Oweidat, told Al Mayadeen that the European judicial delegation's mission is to "interrogate individuals who were previously interrogated by the Lebanese judiciary as witnesses, with the exception of one person who will be interrogated as a suspect."

According to Al Mayadeen's sources, the suspect in the European judicial delegation's mission is the brother of the highest-ranking official in Lebanon's Central Bank.

Oweidat confirmed that an action plan had been agreed upon with the European judicial delegation and that there will be several other visits regarding the file.

The discriminatory public prosecutor added, "We work under a treaty signed with the United Nations, which does not contradict Lebanese internal laws."

Oweidat pointed out that the requests for legal aid to Lebanon last year will be discussed in Germany, France, and Luxembourg, explaining that this is not the first time that European judicial delegations have attended, referring to the case of Carlos Ghosn.

It is worth noting that the European delegation is set to arrive in Beirut on Monday. The delegation consists of 25 individuals, including public prosecutors and specialist financial judges, whose testimony will be heard amid the "ambiguity" surrounding the ongoing operations. However, the Europeans may decide to expand the investigation and summon additional personalities.

Lebanese authorities were informed in a letter that a judicial delegation from France, Germany, and Luxembourg would be arriving in Lebanon between the 9th and 20th of this month to conduct an investigation in Beirut.

The delegation intends to investigate Riad Salameh, the Governor of Lebanon's Central Bank, his close associates, and officials from the Central Bank and other banks on suspicion of embezzlement, money laundering, and tax evasion. According to judicial sources, this could be one of the final steps before filing direct charges.

The European judicial delegation's visit comes a day after the Lebanese judiciary resumed operations following the end of the judges' strike, which represents a potentially promising development in terms of reviving trust in the judicial authority.