Lebanon ex-central bank chief Riad Salameh arrested over alleged financial crimes

Lebanese police officers walk outside the Justice Palace in Beirut, Lebanon September 3, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

BEIRUT (Reuters) -Lebanon's former central bank governor, Riad Salameh, was arrested in Beirut on Tuesday over alleged financial crimes linked to a brokerage company, three judicial sources said, his first arrest after years of accusations at home and abroad.

Salameh, 73, was the bank governor for 30 years but his final years were marred by charges of financial crimes, including illicit enrichment through public funds, by authorities in Lebanon and several Western countries.