Tunisia arrests TV host on corruption charges

Well-known Tunisian TV host Samir El Wafi was arrested on charges of corruption yesterday, the spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office confirmed on Shems FM.

Sofiene Sliti confirmed the arrest of El Wafi, the host of Elhiwar Tounsi, who is currently in custody for “suspected corruption, exploitation of a person with real or fictitious links with a public official, acceptance by himself or through others of gifts of any kind to obtain rights and privileges for others and fraud”.

According to the country’s Criminal Code the punishment for such a crime would be “three years’ imprisonment and 3,000 dinars [$1,217]…”

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This is not the first time El Wafi has been arrested; according to Huffington Post Tunisia in 2015 he was detained for three months and sentenced to three months in prison for fraud and trading in influence after promising a fugitive businessman to intercede in his favour in exchange for “an interview”.

Tunisia is currently cracking down on corruption which has been a widespread problem since before the revolution in 2011 but has since become more prevalent. Prime Minister Youssef Chahed has made fighting corruption his top priority since taking office in 2016.