BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese central bank governor Riad Salameh maintained his innocence amid allegations of corruption, saying in a radio interview on Saturday that his conscience was clear. Salameh is under investigation in Switzerland on charges related to embezzlement, and probes are under way or being planned in several other European countries. “I have not benefitted one penny from the central bank,” Salameh told Radio Free Lebanon. Salameh continued to dismiss the allegations as a smear campaign on Saturday, saying “there are those who want my head”. Lebanon’s crippled banking system is at the heart of a financial crisis that erupted in late 2019.

Source: MetroXpress August 14, 2021 09:56 UTC