The name of the suspect Ukrainian in the case of the Bank of Lebanon is known
2022.12.05 12:13
The name of the suspect Ukrainian in the case of the Bank of Lebanon is known
Budrigannews.com – As part of a cross-border investigation into alleged fraud to the detriment of the Lebanese state, French prosecutors announced on Monday that they have initiated a formal investigation into a Ukrainian woman who is associated with the governor of Lebanon’s central bank.
A spokesperson for the Paris office of the National Financial Prosecutors stated that Anna Kosakova is suspected of aggravated money laundering. According to a birth certificate seen by Reuters, Anna Kosakova and central bank governor Riad Salameh have a daughter.
The spokesperson said, confirming a report from the French online journal Mediapart, that Kosakova, who was informed of the preliminary charges on June 14, was required to hand over her passport and was instructed not to leave France.
A Kosakova attorney stated that his client and he would “react very soon” to the decisions made by the French prosecutors.
Although French prosecutors have not named Salameh as a suspect, the investigation has resulted in the seizure of some of his real estate assets in France. Salameh did not respond to a message seeking clarification.
Pierre-Olivier Sur, a French attorney for Salameh, stated that the June decision regarding Kosakova “doesn’t change anything.”He stated that they were awaiting the outcome of their property seizure challenge before a French court.
The French investigation is part of a coordinated effort by prosecutors in Lebanon, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, and Lichtenstein to find out if Salameh took advantage of his position at the central bank, Banque du Liban (BDL), to steal hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds.
According to Swiss court documents seen by Reuters, Swiss authorities suspect Salameh and a brother, Raja Salameh, may have illegally taken more than $300 million from BDL between 2002 and 2015 and laundered some of the money in Switzerland.
Riad Salameh denied any wrongdoing in an interview with Reuters in November of last year, claiming that neither public Lebanese funds nor funds from the BDL were diverted. Raja Salameh’s close associates declined to comment.
Prosecutors in Germany have stated that they are looking into the possibility that some of the funds that Swiss authorities identified were used to acquire real estate assets, particularly in Munich.
According to people familiar with the investigation, French prosecutors are attempting to determine whether the Salameh brothers used some of those funds to acquire real estate in France, including a portion of a building on the Champs Elysees.
Riad Salameh stated in an interview with Reuters that he purchased real estate assets using his own earnings as an investment banker.Last year, when French investigators questioned Raja Salameh about the acquisitions, he denied any wrongdoing.
According to company records and lease contracts seen by Reuters, the Champs Elysees building houses a business center managed by Kosakova, part of which was rented by the Lebanese central bank. This has drawn the attention of prosecutors in Lebanon as well as France.
