Lebanon’s prosecutor questions central bank chief in Swiss probe

Lebanon’s prosecutor questions central bank chief in Swiss probe

BEIRUT – A prosecutor Thursday questioned Lebanon's central bank chief  Riad Salameh, the latter and a judicial source said, after a Swiss request for help in an anti-graft probe linked to capital flight.

The Swiss attorney general's office said Tuesday it had requested assistance from Lebanon in an investigation into “aggravated money laundering… in connection with possible embezzlement to the detriment of” the Lebanese central bank.

The Swiss attorney general's office has not said whether Salameh was a suspect or not. On Thursday, it was not immediately available for comment.

A Lebanese judicial source has said the probe was looking into $400 million purportedly transferred out of Lebanon by Salameh, his brother, his assistant and financial institutions linked to the central bank, allegations Salameh's office has denied.

The source added Salameh had been questioned, but not as a suspect, and had decided to accept the option to respond to further questions directly to Swiss authorities.

“Salameh decided to be questioned in Switzerland as the Swiss (request) gives him the option, and he will appoint a lawyer to follow up on the case,” the source said.

Salameh in a statement said he had been seen Thursday by public prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat.

“I answered all his and the Swiss