US Reportedly Weighing Sanctions Against Lebanon’s Central Bank Governor

By Staff, Agencies

The United States is reportedly considering sanctions against Lebanese Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh as part of an investigation into his embezzlement of public funds, Bloomberg News reported Thursday.

Quoting four people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg said officials within the Biden administration discussed the possibility of coordinated measures with their European counterparts targeting Salameh.

"The discussion has so far focused on the possibility of freezing Salameh’s overseas assets and enacting measures that would curtail his ability to do business abroad," Bloomberg's report said, adding that deliberations were ongoing and a final decision over whether to take action might not be imminent.

Salameh, subject to a Swiss investigation into charges of transferring hundreds of millions of dollars abroad in recent years, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Should any US measures be imposed, Bloomberg report added, it would be a rare instance in which a foreign government has taken action against the sitting head of a central bank over corruption charges.