NNA -nbsp;The UK, US and Canada have sanctioned Lebanon#39;s former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh and his close associated involved in corruption.
nbsp;
middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Thenbsp;UK sanctions thenbsp;formernbsp;Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon,nbsp;and three associates,nbsp;fornbsp;divertingnbsp;over $300mnbsp;ofnbsp;nbsp;the Bankrsquo;snbsp;funds for personal gain.
middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The sanctions againstnbsp;Riadnbsp;Salamehnbsp;andnbsp;his close associates,nbsp;including his brother,nbsp;arenbsp;coordinated with the USnbsp;and Canada.
middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Thenbsp;UKrsquo;s Minister for thenbsp;Middle Eastnbsp;Lord Ahmadnbsp;calls on Lebanonrsquo;s leaders to urgently bring aboutnbsp;real reformnbsp;and fightnbsp;corruptionnbsp;at the topnbsp;tonbsp;set Lebanon on the pathnbsp;tonbsp;economic recovery.
Today, the UK,nbsp;US and Canadanbsp;havenbsp;announcednbsp;coordinatednbsp;sanctions againstnbsp;Riadnbsp;Salameh,nbsp;Lebanonrsquo;snbsp;formernbsp;Central Bank governor,nbsp;and threenbsp;of hisnbsp;close associates,nbsp;for their role in thenbsp;diversionnbsp;ofnbsp;over $300m from the Bank.
Riadnbsp;Salamehrsquo;snbsp;actions benefitednbsp;himselfnbsp;andnbsp;hisnbsp;close associatesnbsp;atnbsp;the expense of the Lebanese people.nbsp;Hisnbsp;brother Raja Salameh,nbsp;former assistantnbsp;Mariannenbsp;Hoayek andnbsp;former partnernbsp;Annanbsp;Kosakovanbsp;financiallynbsp;benefitednbsp;fromnbsp;this corruption, lining their pocketsnbsp;with moneynbsp;belonging to thenbsp;Lebanese people.nbsp;All four individuals have been handed travel bans and asset freezes.
The UKnbsp;hasnbsp;coordinatednbsp;thesenbsp;sanctionsnbsp;with our key partnersnbsp;the USnbsp;andnbsp;Canada.nbsp;This demonstrates the UKrsquo;s commitmentnbsp;tonbsp;combatnbsp;corruption in Lebanon.
Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad said:
Riad Salameh and his close associatesnbsp;have stolen from people of Lebanonnbsp;and deprived them of resources crucial to its economic and social stability.
The UK isnbsp;dedicated to fightingnbsp;for justice and accountability fornbsp;Lebanon andnbsp;the Lebanese people. The only way to put Lebanon onnbsp;thenbsp;path tonbsp;much-needed economic recoverynbsp;is fornbsp;itsnbsp;leaders tonbsp;stampnbsp;outnbsp;corruption and implement real reforms.
Corruption and a lack of reform have led to a devastating economic crisis in Lebanon – cited by the World Bank as one of the worst in modern history.nbsp;This has plungednbsp;over 80% of the population intonbsp;poverty. Lebanon ranks 154 out of 180 on the Transparency International Global Corruption Perception Index.
This is the firstnbsp;time the UK government has used the Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions regimenbsp;againstnbsp;individuals involved in corruptionnbsp;in Lebanon.nbsp;Since its introduction in April 2021,nbsp;the UK has introduced sanctions against 39 individuals and entities under this regimenbsp;globallynbsp;to combat corruption across the world. — UK FCDO
———————-