Tunisian opposition party leader arrested over money laundering claims

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
4 Jul 2024 16:15

Tunisian politician Lotfi Mraihi is accused of money laundering, smuggling assets outside the country, and opening international bank accounts without a permit from the Central Bank.

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A police officer stands guard outside the parliament building in Tunis, undated. (AFP)

The Republican People’s Union Secretary General Lotfi Mraihi was arrested on Wednesday in Nabeul, northeastern Tunisia, over suspicion of money laundering.

An arrest warrant was issued for the People’s Union secretary general on the suspicion of money laundering, smuggling assets outside the country, and opening international bank accounts without a permit from the Central Bank, the local Mosaique radio reported.

Motivated by Tunisia’s “social and economic deterioration,” Mraihi announced in April that he would be running for the upcoming presidential elections, which are set to take place on October 6.

In the same month, the National Salvation Front announced that it would abstain from participating in the elections due to concerns about unfair competition conditions and the incarceration of political opponents.

Tunisia is facing a detrimental political crisis, damaging the country's economy since 2021, when President Kais Saied dissolved the parliament.

Saied, a constitutional expert, abruptly shuttered the parliament, dismissed the government, and assumed rule by decree in July 2021, proceeding to rewrite the constitution that had previously passed through a referendum with a low turnout two years earlier.

Despite assertions from critics characterizing his actions as a coup, Saied has consistently denied such claims, asserting that they were necessary to rescue Tunisia from years of chaos.

"The president of the republic issued a decree today, July 2, 2024, summoning voters for a presidential election on Sunday, October 6, 2024," Saied's office said in a statement.

The political turmoil has severely impacted Tunisia's economy, with unemployment at 15% and approximately one-third of the population living in poverty.

A media crackdown has resulted in the prosecution of over 60 journalists, lawyers, and political opponents, according to the National Union of Tunisian Journalists.

In May, Saied unexpectedly replaced the ministers of interior and social affairs in a surprise cabinet reshuffle following a series of arrests targeting rights activists, lawyers, and journalists.

Negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a $2 billion loan have stalled since Saied's 2021 power grab, as he has rejected the reforms demanded by the IMF.

However, in June, the European Investment Bank announced grants and loans totaling 450 million euros ($480 million) to support infrastructure projects and small to midsize businesses.