Lebanese judiciary releases former Governor of the Central Bank, Riad Salameh, on a massive bail

The Lebanese judiciary issued a controversial decision today, Tuesday, to release former Governor of the Central Bank, Riad Salameh, who has been detained for nearly a year on charges of embezzling public funds and money laundering, in exchange for a massive bail exceeding 20 million US dollars.

A judicial source confirmed to "France Presse", preferring to remain anonymous, that the indictment chamber in Beirut, headed by Judge Nacib Elia, agreed to release Salameh after imposing a financial bail of 20 million US dollars, in addition to 5 billion Lebanese pounds, which amounts to a total of more than approximately 23 million dollars.

The source explained that the decision to release Salameh also includes a travel ban for a full year, starting from the execution of the decision and the payment of the required bail.

It was noted that the execution of the decision remains suspended until the full amount is paid.

It is worth mentioning that Riad Salameh, who served as the Governor of the Central Bank for more than 30 years, faces a series of legal cases in Lebanon and several European countries related to corruption, illicit wealth, and suspicious financial transfers, which Salameh continuously denies.

This decision comes amid a sharp internal division over major corruption files in Lebanon, and it is expected to provoke widespread controversy in the Lebanese street, especially in light of the severe economic and financial crisis that the country has been experiencing for years.