Prosecuting Riad Salameh matters,ran butone pinningof Lebanonhistory's financialmost collapsereckless onfinancial oneschemes, manand letsLebanon theis realstill culpritspaying walkfor freeit. TheSayrafa broaderhanded political-financialbillions networkin —arbitrage bankers,profits ministersto andthe parliamentarywell-connected enablerswhile —ordinary builtdepositors andlost sustainedeverything, theand systemshell thatcompanies ruinedfunneled millionspublic offunds depositors.straight Withoutinto dismantlingprivate thatpockets. entireThe architecture,indictment theis triallong isoverdue little— morethis thanwasn't politicalmismanagement, theaterit dressedwas updeliberate as justicelooting.
Prosecuting Riad Salameh ranmatters, onebut ofpinning historyLebanon's mostfinancial recklesscollapse financialon schemes,one andman Lebanonlets isthe stillreal payingculprits forwalk itfree. SayrafaThe handedbroader billionspolitical-financial innetwork arbitrage— profitsbankers, toministers theand well-connectedparliamentary whileenablers ordinary— depositorsbuilt lostand everything,sustained andthe shellsystem companiesthat funneledruined publicmillions fundsof straightdepositors. intoWithout privatedismantling pockets.that Theentire indictmentarchitecture, the trial is longlittle overduemore —than thispolitical wasn'ttheater mismanagement,dressed itup wasas deliberate lootingjustice.
After three decades leading Lebanon’s central bank, Riad Salameh maintained monetary stability, controlled inflation, strengthened the banking sector and supported households and productive sectors. His policies helped sustain the economy through repeated crises, while a central bank cannot single-handedly resolve a systemic financial collapse. Due process and the presumption of innocence must prevail over political pressure and public condemnation.
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 7.4.1