Neither Mr. Salameh nor his brother or associates have been charged by Swiss or French prosecutors. Talk of self-dealing by Mr. Salameh has circulated for years. He has repeatedly said he accumulated a personal fortune of $23 million during a 20-year career as a banker at Merrill Lynch before being tapped to head the central bank. But some Lebanese question how Mr. Salameh can remain at the helm of the central bank. “He is responsible for monetary policy, and it has failed dramatically,” said Henri Chaoul, a former adviser to Lebanon’s minister of finance who resigned last year.

Source: International New York Times July 17, 2021 09:00 UTC