Beirut: Lebanese authorities arrested actress Stephanie Saliba on the background of joint Lebanese-European investigations into the governor of the central bank— Banque du Liban, Riad Salameh is accused, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
The Lebanese News Agency stated, on Friday, that “the Financial Advocate General, Judge Iman Abdullah, arrested the actress, Stephanie Saliba, based on the indication of the Financial Public Prosecutor, Judge Ali Ibrahim, after listening to her.”
Stephanie Saliba was questioned “on suspicion of money laundering and illegal enrichment” in connection with the case of the central bank governor, AFP reports.
The security forces implemented the content of a search and investigation warrant against Saliba, who arrived Wednesday evening at Beirut airport from Jeddah, where she participated in the Red Sea Film Festival, after she had previously failed to appear before the investigation.
Saliba’s interrogation comes within the framework of investigations conducted by the Public Prosecutor in Mount Lebanon, Judge Ghada Aoun, since April 2021, after the prosecution of Salama and his brother for the crime of “illicit enrichment and money laundering.”
The local media talk about Stephanie Saliba receiving exorbitant gifts from the governor of the central bank.
In response to a question by AFP, her office declined to comment, explaining, “We do not have any comment at the present time.”
35-year-old Saliba started her acting career in 2016, and quickly gained fame in the Arab world after participating in several series, most notably “Matl Al-Qamar”, “A Minute of Silence”, and the last of which is “The Challenge”.
Investigations with the central bank governor— Banque du Liban
As per media reports, 72-year-old Salameh has been facing investigations in France and Switzerland since the beginning of 2021 regarding accusations of money laundering operations in the Central Bank, and about his personal wealth and the wealth of his relatives.
However, Salama announced more than once, the last of which was in November 2021, that he is facing media and political “campaigns”, stressing that the source of his wealth is “clear and documented”.
At the time, he said, “I was a successful banker for nearly 20 years, and nothing prevents me from investing and developing my private wealth,” adding that he “will submit a detailed report to the judiciary about his private wealth and investments.”
Salameh held his position as governor of the Central Bank 28 years ago, but he has recently faced increasing scrutiny in the wake of the collapse of Lebanon’s financial system.
Riad Salameh, is widely blamed for Lebanon’s unprecedented economic crisis, which the World Bank has described as one of the worst in modern world history.
Since 2019, Lebanon has been suffering an unprecedented economic and financial crisis, exacerbated by the scarcity of basic commodities and the loss of the local currency, about 90 per cent of its value.
