Lebanon banks to close in solidarity after bank said staff assaulted

CAIRO/BEIRUT: Banks in Lebanon will close on Tuesday in solidarity with the Lebanese Swiss Bank after it said staff at its headquarters had been assaulted by individuals seeking access to closed accounts, the Banks’ Association said in a statement on Monday.
The Lebanese Swiss Bank said in a statement it would close its branches and offices for the day after about a hundred men barged into the headquarters and assaulted its employees.
It said the individuals who attacked the bank belonged to an organization called Baneen, a charity in southern Lebanon, that had held accounts with the bank but were closed on legal grounds.
The bank statement said the men forced bank employees to make money transfers to Turkey.
Baneen president Mohamed Baydoon denied use of any force and said the transfer of funds was done amicably. It was not immediately clear why the accounts had been closed.