France has issued an international arrest warrant for the governor of Lebanon’s central bank, Riad Salameh, as part of an investigation into alleged corruption.
The warrant was issued by the Paris prosecutor’s office, which is probing allegations of money laundering and bribes linked to the sale of French frigates to Lebanon.
Salameh is accused of having received large sums of money in exchange for his role in the sale of the frigates, which were part of a $3 billion defence deal with France.
Salameh has denied any wrongdoing and maintains that he is innocent. He has previously accused France of attempting to discredit him.
The arrest warrant is the latest development in a long-running investigation into the sale of the frigates, which has already seen several people arrested.
The investigation has further complicated the already fragile political situation in Lebanon, which has been gripped by an economic crisis for the past year.