Tunisia pursues 100 Ennahdha members in money laundering case
Tunisia announced Monday that it had frozen assets and confiscated properties belonging to suspected money launderers, most of whom are from or linked to Ennahda and businessmen, in a pre-emptive move against the possible flight of suspects.
A judicial source said in press statements that “the money laundering case opened by the Tunisian judiciary a few days ago is witnessing remarkable developments, after the arrest of a number of leaders in the Islamic Ennahdha Movement, where procedures were started involving dozens of suspects in the case and their bank assets and belongings were frozen.”
The source, who preferred not to be named, added that “this is a preventive measure in anticipation of the escape of the parties suspected of involvement in this case,” noting that “the arrest of 10 leaders of the Ennahdha Movement in the past opened the door to important developments in the case, where politicians from the movement and from outside it, as well as businessmen linked to them, were arrested.”
“Investigations into the case will include other individuals who are suspected of money laundering,” said the unidentified judicial sources quoted by local radio station Mosaique. “This file will not be subject to a decision to place the direct judges of this file and their families under security protection as investigations progress.”
“As the investigation into the case progressed, the Malian judicial branch issued a new arrest warrant against Mouaz Ghannouchi, the son of the head of Ennahdha, on charges of money laundering,” it said.
The decision comes in the context of preventing defendants from using their bank accounts to flee the country, or even by those living abroad, such as Ghannouchi’s son, who is in the British capital of London.
Earlier last week, Tunisian judicial authorities arrested 10 leaders of the Islamic Ennahdha Movement and businessmen in connection with alleged money laundering in the case of the terrorist-related charity Nama’a.
Other investigations include political leaders, former MPs, businessmen and activists from associations who are fortified to flee abroad, for which arrest warrants are expected to be issued
The decision by the public prosecutor’s office came after the arrest and imprisonment of Ennahdha leader Abdelkarim Suleiman on charges of money laundering, who is suspected of having obtained suspicious financial flows from abroad after January 2011.
The money Suleiman received is estimated at more than 100 million dinars ($30 million), before being deposited inside the company’s complex façade. He also owns several properties worth millions of Tunisian dinars.
“In July, the Tunisian judiciary froze the assets of Rached Ghannouchi, his son Moaz, his son-in-law Rafik Abdelsalam, and several members of his family and a number of Ennahda leaders, most notably former Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali.”
Last November, Ghannouchi appeared before a court in Sousse Governorate (East) to investigate a money laundering case. After hours of interrogation, the judge decided to keep him released.
The case, which Ghannouchi was invited to investigate, concerns suspicious financial dealings by a digital content production company. The company has also been prosecuted since 2021 on charges of “conspiring against state security” and “inciting violence,” according to local media.
Investigations into the case began after the launch of the July 25, 2021 Islamic Movement’s political power path.
Ghannouchi was summoned on July 19 for questioning in a money laundering and other corruption case. Ennahdha denied the charges against its leader.
“On 27 June, the Tunisian judiciary issued a travel ban against Ghannouchi as part of an investigation into political assassinations in 2013.”
On 20 December, the investigating judge in the anti-terrorism branch issued a prison deposit card against Ali Larayedh, a former prime minister and vice president of Ennahda, after interrogating him for several hours.
Ghannouchi and his deputy Ali al-Arid, along with several of the movement’s leaders and security chiefs, were placed under investigation for “traveling to trouble spots”, intended to facilitate the departure of Tunisians to Syria to fight as part of armed groups.
