Ben Ali's family denies having money outside Tunisia

The family of former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali have denied having bank accounts or real estate abroad, in its first comment on a former official’s condemnation of the state’s “failure” to recover more than $1 billion looted by the Ben Ali regime.

Maha Charfeddine, a lawyer of Ben Ali’s daughter Halima, said that the circulating news about the family filing a judicial complaint against the Tunisian state to recover money has no grounds.

Charfeddine confirmed that her client only depended on the Tunisian and foreign judiciary to “restore civil rights that were taken from her.” Charfeddine confirmed that her client “does not own real estate or bank accounts in Europe, as promoted, and she is ready to waive these properties (if proved to be registered in her name) in favour of the Tunisian state.”

On Monday, Badreddine Gammoudi, the former head of the Parliament’s Anti-Corruption Committee, affirmed that the French judiciary had recently issued “a first instance ruling” that stipulates lifting the freeze on five billion dinars ($1.6 billion) in property and funds confiscated on the pretext the Tunisian state did not take the necessary measures to restore them.

During his recent meeting with Prime Minister Najla Bouden, President Kais Saied called for following up on “the file of looted funds and to coordinate with the relevant parties who have to assume their full responsibilities in doing what they have to do without delay, since it is a matter related to the people’s finances,” according to the Tunisian presidency.

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