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Funds acquired illegally by Tunisian president frozen by Switzerland
by Joseph Ernest January 19, 2011
Newscast Media TUNIS, Tunisia -- The Swiss government has ordered a freeze on all funds held by Tunisia's ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Micheline Calmy-Rey, the country's foreign minister has announced.
At the same time, prosecutors in Tunisia opened an inquiry into the assets of Ben Ali and his extended family, the official TAP news agency reported.
The Tunisian inquiry will reportedly look into possible illegal financial transactions, foreign bank accounts and real estate held by Ben Ali, his wife Leila Trabelsi and other relatives. Wednesday's move by the Swiss government was announced at a cabinet meeting following domestic political pressure as well as legal action taken by Tunisian exiles in Switzerland this week.
"The government decided at its meeting today to freeze any funds in Switzerland of the ex-Tunisian president and his entourage with immediate effect," Calmy-Reys, who currently also holds the rotating Swiss presidency, said.
"Switzerland wants to avoid our financial centre being used to hide funds illegally taken from the populations concerned," she added.
Calmy-Reys said the move was aimed at both preventing any assets that might be in Switzerland from being withdrawn, and ensuring that Tunisia's new authorities would be able to retrieve illicitly taken public assets. Swiss officials estimate Tunisian government officials have put about $620m into Swiss banks.
Family members arrested
Meanwhile, an estimated 33 members of ousted Tunisian leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's family have been arrested, state TV has said. They were held over the past few days as they tried to leave the country.
In a televised speech, interim leader Fouad Mebazaa vowed a "total break" with the past, an independent justice system and media freedoms. In a separate development, the new government said it had freed all political prisoners. The reported move comes after weeks of mass protests.
State television showed what it said was gold and jewellery found during raids on the family members' properties. It is not known which family members have been arrested. In Paris, the anti-corruption group Transparency International France and two other associations have filed a legal case alleging corruption by Mr Ben Ali and his wife.
Some leaders believe it is their God-given right to hijack public assets of a nation, especially when it is abundant in natural resources. What Switzerland is doing together with the rest of the international community is proof that even when politicians or heads of state rob their countries and try to hide their loot in off-shore accounts, there is no guarantee that they will have access to those funds. The freezing of funds and assets should be effective in discouraging the notion that just because a head of state presides over a nation, that position gives him or her the license to illegally acquire its natural resources.
Protesters are out on the streets of Tunisia once again demanding the ousted president be brought back to stand trial on corruption charges. Tunisians say they will continue to protest until symbols of the old regime have disappeared from the political scene. Add Comments>>
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