French judges investigation sheds light on Marianne Howayeks involvement in corruption at Central Bank of Lebanon

French judges investigation sheds light on Marianne Howayeks involvement in corruption at Central Bank of Lebanon

Days ago, French investigating Judge Aude Buresi directed accusations towards Marianne Howayek, the executive assistant to the Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh, charging her with forming a criminal gang and money laundering within an organized gang framework. Buresi placed Howayek under judicial supervision, prohibiting her from communicating with the Central Bank of Lebanon or working there. She also ordered Howayek to provide a financial guarantee of 1.5 million euros before proceeding to freeze her assets and properties in France on Tuesday. These charges resulted from investigations conducted by the French judge last April. They were primarily based on Howayek's testimony, which included inconsistencies and her inability to prove the source of her funds. This article was originally published in and translated from Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar.

"Al-Akhbar" newspaper obtained the record of the session in which the French investigating judge heard the former executive director of the Central Bank's Governor on April 27, 2023, according to Howayek's professional background.

Howayek's testimony, without a doubt, reveals that Salameh approached his position at the central bank with a mentality driven by greed and willing to exploit it in any way possible. This included distributing privileges, bribes, and easy loans to political