Tunisia’s President Saied launches graft crackdown

460 businessmen come under lens

July 29, 2021 10:31 pm | Updated 10:31 pm IST - Tunis

Tunisia's President Kais Saied, center, leads a security meeting with members of the army and police forces in Tunis, Tunisia, Sunday, July 25, 2021. Troops surrounded Tunisia's parliament and blocked its speaker Rached Ghannouchi from entering Monday after the president suspended the legislature and fired the prime minister following nationwide protests over the country's economic troubles and the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis. (AP Photo/Hedi Azouz)

Tunisia's President Kais Saied, center, leads a security meeting with members of the army and police forces in Tunis, Tunisia, Sunday, July 25, 2021. Troops surrounded Tunisia's parliament and blocked its speaker Rached Ghannouchi from entering Monday after the president suspended the legislature and fired the prime minister following nationwide protests over the country's economic troubles and the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis. (AP Photo/Hedi Azouz)

Tunisia’s President Kais Saied accused 460 businessmen of embezzlement as he launched a crackdown on corruption, days after grabbing power in what his opponents have dubbed a “coup”.

Mr. Saied, who suspended parliament for 30 days and seized all executive powers on Sunday, slammed the “bad economic choices” made in recent years, during a meeting with a leader of the employers’ federation UTICA.

In his comments late on Wednesday, the president singled out for criticism “those who plunder public money”.

Mr. Saied accused 460 businessmen of owing 13.5 billion dinars ($4.9 billion) to the state, citing the findings of a commission of inquiry into graft under former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

“This money must be returned to the Tunisian people,” he said, adding that he intends to offer the businessmen “judicial arbitration”.

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