The former Tunisian Industry Minister, Mohamed Amin Chakhari, has been placed under preventive detention amidst suspicions of financial corruption, as reported by Tunisian radio station, Mosaique FM, on Saturday.
Sources indicate that Chakhari’s detention is linked to ongoing investigations concerning another ex-minister, Abdul Karim Harouni, a prominent leader of the Ennahda movement, and other officials from a state-owned oil institution. The suspicions revolve around allegations of financial and administrative corruption, as well as money laundering.
Chakhari served as the Minister of Industry in the government led by the Ennahda movement from late 2011 to early 2013.
Last Tuesday, security forces arrested Harouni, who is also the president of the Shura Council in the Ennahda movement, only two days after he was placed under house arrest. Alongside Harouni, the Tunisian authorities have also detained several former officials from the aforementioned governmental petroleum institution, raising further concerns about financial improprieties and potential money laundering.
These recent arrests highlight a broader push for transparency and anti-corruption measures within Tunisia, a North African nation which has witnessed significant political changes over the last decade.
