Tunisia: Authorities arrest Ennahda leaders on charges of money laundering

Media reports said the Tunisian judicial authorities have arrested leaders from the Ennahda movement along with businessmen linked to the movement on charges of money laundering.

The Emirati Erem News site quoted judicial sources who said ten party leaders and a businessman were detained.

The sources confirmed that the circle of suspects, in this case, expanded based on the testimony of the leader of the movement, Abdul Karim Suleiman, who was put in pre-trial detention in the same case a few days ago.

The aforementioned judicial sources affirmed that “the investigations with Suleiman led to other names, most of them are leaders in the [Ennahda] movement and a businessman linked to it, who are suspected of being involved in a case of money laundering and illegal enrichment.”

At the end of last year, the Ministry of Interior said Suleiman was charged in three cases; the Instalingo case, Namaa Tunisia Association case and with sending Tunisians to areas of tension outside the country.

The source confirmed that “the investigations also included other figures such as political leaders, former MPs, businessmen and activists in associations who protect themselves by fleeing outside Tunisia, and subpoenas are expected to be issued against them.”

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On Tuesday security forces arrested Ennahda movement leader, Nejib Gharbi.

The “Instalingo” case dates back to October 2021, when authorities arrested the company’s employees on charges including “committing a grave act against the head of state [Kais Saied]”, conspiracy against the internal security of the state and espionage.

The investigations included journalists, bloggers, freelancers, and politicians, including the head of the Ennahda Movement, Rachid Ghannouchi, his daughter and son-in-law, Rafik Abdessalem, and the former spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, Mohamed Ali Aroui.

Probes into the case of “sending Tunisians to areas of tension” were initiated after a former MP Fatima Al-Masdi of the Nidaa Tounes movement submitted a complaint in December 2021 to the military judiciary, before transferring it to the anti-terrorism judiciary.