Lebanese central bank governor charged with breach of trust

Lebanon’s Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh speaks during a press conference at the bank’s headquarters in Beirut. (File/AFP)

• Salameh has headed Lebanon’s central bank since 1993

BEIRUT: Lebanese Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh has been charged with dereliction of duty and breach of trust, the state news agency reported on Thursday.
Judge Ghada Aoun also brought charges against a money exchange company for breaching an administrative regulation, the agency said.
It did not provide further details. Salameh was not immediately available for comment.
Salameh has headed Lebanon’s central bank since 1993. Aoun had been investigating his management of dollars that were allocated for subsidising basic goods.
His role came under scrutiny after Lebanon’s financial system collapsed in 2019, prompting a crash in the Lebanese pound and a sovereign default.