BANKER FRAUDSTER
Samir Hanna
Samir Hanna
CEO of Bank Audi
The long-serving CEO of Bank Audi, one of Lebanon's largest banks. Once hailed as a visionary, he is now central to allegations of colluding with Riad Salameh in 'financial engineering' schemes that generated massive paper profits for banks while bankrupting the state. Hanna is accused of facilitating capital flight for the elite while freezing depositors' savings.
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"We did what we had to do to survive, but the cost was the nation itself."
Evidence & Activities
THE ENGINEERING OF COLLAPSE
- Key architect of the financial engineering operations with the Central Bank that attracted dollars at unsustainable interest rates.
- These maneuvers enriched bank shareholders while deepening the sovereign debt crisis.
SALAMEH'S PARTNER
- Bank Audi, under his leadership, was a primary beneficiary of Riad Salameh's policies.
- Named in multiple investigations regarding illicit transfers and the 'Forry' scandal commissions.
BLOCKING REFORMS
- Part of the banking lobby that fiercely opposed the Lazard recovery plan, protecting bank capital over depositor rights.
- Accused of prioritizing dividend payouts to shareholders during the crisis onset.
End of Dossier
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