Maghreb Edition

Tunisia: Switzerland may unfreeze dictator’s ill-gotten millions stashed in its banks, the Tunisian people could lose it allF

Posted On 18 January 2021

Number of times this article was read : 437

Tunisia could lose millions of dollars stashed in Switzerland by the family of ousted dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, a senior official said Saturday. The funds are currently frozen by Swiss authorities but a deadline to claw back funds ends midnight on Tuesday and restrictions then cease, a presidential official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Swiss authorities imposed a 10-year freeze on assets of Ben Ali and his clan amid a corruption probe on January 19, 2011, five days after the toppled leader fled to Saudi Arabia, where he later died. Swiss-based campaign group Public Eye, which investigates human rights violations by Swiss companies, estimates Ben Ali’s family and allies shifted some $320 million into Swiss banks in the years before his ouster.

Leila Trabelsi, Ben Ali’s widow, and her wealthy businessman brother Belhassen Trabelsi, are among 30 to 50 of his relatives and associates who “could get hold of the money”, the source said. “We are in touch daily with the Swiss authorities, but despite their understanding, it will be difficult to achieve anything” by the deadline, the source added.

The Swiss have reportedly demanded documents to prove the funds are indeed illegal, before they could return it to Tunisia’s government. Swiss authorities also want to know the legal status of members of the Ben Ali clan, many of whom faced warrants and trials in Tunisia for corruption, the source said. The authorities have failed to compile the information due to political instability in Tunisia, which has seen nine government since 2011, the source added.

Swiss daily Le Temps said Swiss officials had offered to create a joint body to support Tunisian efforts to reclaim the cash. But former Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi, who died in 2019, preferred to try retrieve funds through reconciliation deals with members of the Ben Ali clan.

AFP

Subscribe to Urgent Notifications and Newsletter

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Gulf War Escalates as Energy Markets Reel and Regional Fronts Multiply$

The war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States is expanding across the Middle East, with growing consequences for global energy markets and regional security. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure have pushed oil prices higher and raised concerns about supply stability. As missile exchanges intensify and fighting spreads to Lebanon, world leaders are scrambling to assess the economic fallout and prevent further escalation.

West Africa: Jihadist Attacks Intensify in Northern Benin Amid Cross-Border Insurgency Pressure$

Jihadist attacks in northern Benin have intensified in recent weeks, with militants linked to JNIM claiming a deadly assault on a military position near the Niger border and carrying out additional raids on security posts along the country’s volatile frontiers with Burkina Faso and Nigeria. The violence underscores how northern Benin has become part of a wider cross-border insurgency spilling south from the central Sahel, even as authorities bolster Operation Mirador and try to prevent armed groups from entrenching themselves on Beninese soil.

Desert Locusts Stir Fresh Worries in North-West Africa$

Small desert locust swarms recently detected along the western Sahara corridor have prompted stepped-up monitoring across parts of North and West Africa, where shifting rainfall can quickly turn quiet desert areas into launchpads for wider infestations.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.