Tunisians Petition for Probe into Ghannouchi, Politicians’ Wealth

Arab World

May 19th, 9:32am

Tunis - Mongi Saidani

Tunisian parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi. (Reuters)

Thousands of Tunisians have signed an online petition requesting an investigation to into the wealth of several politicians, who have emerged on the political scene since the 2011 revolution. Most notable on the list is parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party. Signatories have demanded that the politicians to disclose the source of their wealth. As of Monday morning, the petition was signed by 7,500 people, all demanding a serious and transparent investigation and calling for the formation of an independent committee to carry out the probe. They said the committee must include local organizations, such as the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT), the Bar Association and the Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH). The petition said that in the past nine years, Ghannouchi has become “one of the richest people in Tunisia,” with a fortune of more than one billion dollars. Political leaders and university professors slammed “the large number of suspicious foreign funds that have been pumped into the country under the charitable work and associations,” adding that “in most cases they are linked to terrorist organizations and suspicious political agendas.” Politicians named in the petition include figures from the Ennahda party, such as Noureddine Bhiri, Mohamed Ben Salem, Ghannouchi’s son, daughters and sons-in-law. Other politicians include Hamadi Jebali, Sufian Toubal, the former leader in Nidaa Tounes, and heirs of late President Beji Caid Essebsi. Commenting on the petition, resigned leader from Ennahda party, Riyad al-Shuaibi told Asharq Al-Awsat that he does not think Ghannouchi owns a fortune. Shuaibi stressed that the speaker had declared his wealth and assets on numerous occasions, without hiding any properties. The move is politically motivated, he added. A former member of the Ennahda had previously charged that Ghannouchi owns a villa in northeastern Tunis worth 4 million dollars. He also said that he owns luxury vehicles, property in tourist areas and vast agricultural fields in northwestern Tunisia. Shuaibi, meanwhile, said the speaker merely owns a house in Tunis, just like any other Tunisian.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2291876/tunisians-petition-probe-ghannouchi-politicians%E2%80%99-wealth