Tunisia: Ghannouchi ‘money laundering’ allegations denied

Ennahda Movement in Tunisia has denied allegations that its leader has been involved in “money laundering”. The movement issued its statement following the allegations by the “coup authority” against Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi and his sons, daughters and sons-in-law, as well as several other Ennahda members.

According to a report by Anadolu, a Tunisian judge summoned Ghannouchi, the former Parliamentary Speaker, for investigation into “money laundering” allegations related to suspicious financial transactions within the Namaa Tounes charity. The veteran politician is expected to appear before an investigative judge on 19 July, local Tunisian media reported one Ennahda member as saying.

Ghannouchi, insisted Ennahda, did not hold any illegal funds. It said that the case against him is targeting him as a political opponent of Tunisian President Kais Saied. “The persistence of the authority regime in trying to link Ghannouchi to the corruption issue related to Namaa Tounes charity comes in the context of distorted and false allegations against him.”

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The corruption claims related to Namaa Tounes also include former Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali and former Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem.

Ennahda said that Ghannouchi had disclosed information related to all of his property and bank dealings. It stressed that he has never received any funds from internal or external parties, including Namaa Tounes, and has never carried out any financial transactions for any organisation.

The movement condemned the linking of Ghannouchi to people with whom he has no relationship. It also condemned the use of the judiciary by the authorities in Tunisia to eradicate political opponents of Saied.