Lebanon Prosecutor Interrogates Bankers Over Capital Flight

Lebanese withdraw money from ATMs in the capital Beirut after the country imposed restrictions on dollar withdrawals and transfers abroad in an attempt to conserve dwindling foreign currency reserves | AFP
Lebanese withdraw money from ATMs in the capital Beirut after the country imposed restrictions on dollar withdrawals and transfers abroad in an attempt to conserve dwindling foreign currency reserves | AFP
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Lebanon Prosecutor Interrogates Bankers Over Capital Flight

Lebanese withdraw money from ATMs in the capital Beirut after the country imposed restrictions on dollar withdrawals and transfers abroad in an attempt to conserve dwindling foreign currency reserves | AFP
Lebanese withdraw money from ATMs in the capital Beirut after the country imposed restrictions on dollar withdrawals and transfers abroad in an attempt to conserve dwindling foreign currency reserves | AFP

A Lebanese prosecutor Monday questioned bankers over more than 2 billion dollars in capital flight in past months despite strict banking restrictions in the crisis-hit country, judicial sources said.

Banks have since September imposed increasingly tight limits on dollar withdrawals and transfers abroad as part of measures to tackle a severe liquidity crisis.

But bankers stand accused of having sent millions of dollars abroad despite those limitations since mass anti-government protests erupted on October 17.

Lebanese banking association head Salim Sfeir, as well as representatives from 14 banks, appeared before financial prosecutor Ali Ibrahim, the sources said, AFP reported.

They testified "over the transfer abroad of 2.3 billion dollars during the two months since the start of the popular uprising", they said.

They were questioned over "the causes of the transfers abroad of the money of bank owners, which reduced liquidity in the internal financial markets".

They were also asked why other depositors were unable to make transfers abroad for trade or to pay tuition fees.

Bankers were asked to justify "the inability of depositors to withdraw from their US dollar accounts... while that restriction did not apply to the powerful".

Lebanon is currently facing its worst economic crisis since its 1975-1990 civil war.

The value of the Lebanese pound has plummeted on the black market, prices have risen, and many businesses have been forced to slash salaries, dismiss staff, or close.

Lebanon is one of the most indebted countries in the world, with a public debt equivalent to 150 percent of its GDP.

The country is now under pressure to pay a $1.2 billion Eurobond maturity on March 9.

Economists warn payment on time would eat away at plummeting foreign currency reserves, while bankers say a default would damage Lebanon's reputation with lenders.

Bank of America Merill Lynch in a November report estimated that around 50 percent of Eurobonds were held by local banks, while the central bank had around 11 percent.

Foreign investors owned the remainder or around 39 percent, it said.

But these figures may have changed, with local media reporting that local banks have recently sold a chunk of their Eurobonds to foreign lenders.

The judicial sources said those summoned on Monday were also asked about those sales.

According to AFP, representatives of other banks are to be called in later this week.



Firm Dollar Keeps Pound, Euro and Yen Under Pressure

US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ File Photo
US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ File Photo
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Firm Dollar Keeps Pound, Euro and Yen Under Pressure

US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ File Photo
US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ File Photo

The US dollar charged ahead on Thursday, underpinned by rising Treasury yields, putting the yen, sterling and euro under pressure near multi-month lows amid the shifting threat of tariffs.

The focus for markets in 2025 has been on US President-elect Donald Trump's agenda as he steps back into the White House on Jan. 20, with analysts expecting his policies to both bolster growth and add to price pressures, according to Reuters.

CNN on Wednesday reported that Trump is considering declaring a national economic emergency to provide legal justification for a series of universal tariffs on allies and adversaries. On Monday, the Washington Post said Trump was looking at more nuanced tariffs, which he later denied.

Concerns that policies introduced by the Trump administration could reignite inflation has led bond yields higher, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury note hitting 4.73% on Wednesday, its highest since April 25. It was at 4.6709% on Thursday.

"Trump's shifting narrative on tariffs has undoubtedly had an effect on USD. It seems this capriciousness is something markets will have to adapt to over the coming four years," said Kieran Williams, head of Asia FX at InTouch Capital Markets.

The bond market selloff has left the dollar standing tall and casting a shadow on the currency market.

Among the most affected was the pound, which was headed for its biggest three-day drop in nearly two years.

Sterling slid to $1.2239 on Thursday, its weakest since November 2023, even as British government bond yields hit multi-year highs.

Ordinarily, higher gilt yields would support the pound, but not in this case.

The sell-off in UK government bond markets resumed on Thursday, with 10-year and 30-year gilt yields jumping again in early trading, as confidence in Britain's fiscal outlook deteriorates.

"Such a simultaneous sell-off in currency and bonds is rather unusual for a G10 country," said Michael Pfister, FX analyst at Commerzbank.

"It seems to be the culmination of a development that began several months ago. The new Labour government's approval ratings are at record lows just a few months after the election, and business and consumer sentiment is severely depressed."

Sterling was last down about 0.69% at $1.2282.

The euro also eased, albeit less than the pound, to $1.0302, lurking close to the two-year low it hit last week as investors remain worried the single currency may fall to the key $1 mark this year due to tariff uncertainties.

The yen hovered near the key 160 per dollar mark that led to Tokyo intervening in the market last July, after it touched a near six-month low of 158.55 on Wednesday.

Though it strengthened a bit on the day and was last at 158.15 per dollar. That all left the dollar index, which measures the US currency against six other units, up 0.15% and at 109.18, just shy of the two-year high it touched last week.

Also in the mix were the Federal Reserve minutes of its December meeting, released on Wednesday, which showed the central bank flagged new inflation concerns and officials saw a rising risk the incoming administration's plans may slow economic growth and raise unemployment.

With US markets closed on Thursday, the spotlight will be on Friday's payrolls report as investors parse through data to gauge when the Fed will next cut rates.