Raja Salameh, the brother of Lebanon's former central bank governor Riad Salameh, has been placed under investigation in France as part of a corruption probe into the embezzlement of more than $330 million from the bank, a source close to the case confirmed to The National on Wednesday.
Following his hearing last week in Paris, Raja Salameh faces charges including criminal conspiracy, embezzlement of public funds, aggravated breach of trust, corruption, and organised money laundering, AFP reported, and the source confirmed.
He is suspected of having helped Riad Salameh embezzle more than $330 million through a slush fund at the central bank, which was allegedly used to acquire properties in Europe and the US.
Both brothers have denied the allegations.
“It is a crucial but anticipated development. The evasion ends here,” said William Bourdon, one of the lawyers representing the Sherpa association and the Collective Association of Victims of Fraudulent and Criminal Practices in Lebanon as civil parties in the case.
“The judicial puzzle of a massive diversion of public resources by a family clan and its allies is nearing completion.”
In February, Raja's son Emile Salameh was charged in France with criminal conspiracy, money laundering, and receiving stolen goods following his interrogation by a financial investigating judge.
Through financial arrangements facilitated by his father, Emile Salameh is suspected of having acquired two apartments in Paris and villas in Lebanon.
The National has previously reported on Raja Salameh’s property holdings in France and the US that are suspected to have been purchased with illicit funds, and suspicious transfers between Raja and Emile Salameh.
Since 2021, French authorities, along with several other EU countries, have been investigating money laundering linked to Lebanon's central bank chief between 1993 and 2023.
In May 2023, France issued an arrest warrant for Riad Salameh following a hearing in Paris. Raja Salameh had failed to appear at his hearing in France in April the same year, citing medical reasons.
France has also put others suspects under formal investigation, including Riad Salameh’s partner Anna Kosakova, Lebanese banker and former minister Marwan Kheireddine, senior BDL adviser Marianne Hoayek and Antoine Gholam, manager of Lebanese auditing firm BDO Semaan.
“Raja Salameh answered all questions put to him by the investigating magistrates, aiming to establish the truth,” his lawyer Karim Beylouni told AFP.
“Raja Salameh denies any wrongdoing, including participation in the alleged misappropriation of public funds. He aims to clear his name and that of his family,” he added.
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WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
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Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
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- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
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Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
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- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
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