The French judiciary has issued an arrest warrant against Riad Salamé, governor of the central bank of Lebanon. He is suspected of having built up a rich real estate and banking assets in Europe through a complex financial arrangement and a massive embezzlement of Lebanese public funds.
"I will fight against this decision, which is a flagrant violation of the law," the governor replied in a statement released in Arabic, while his lawyer promised to "seize the competent courts" The concrete consequences of the arrest warrant are difficult to determine immediately. It could limit the BDL governor's travel abroad.