Adel Thabeti
06 July 2022•Update: 06 July 2022
TUNIS, Tunisia
A Tunisian judge on Wednesday summoned former Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi for investigation into 'money laundering' accusations.
According to the private Radio Mosaique, Ghannouchi will be questioned regarding suspicious financial transactions within the “Namaa Tounes” charity.
Ghannouchi, the leader of the Ennahda movement, is expected to appear before the judge on July 19, local media said.
There was no comment from Ghannouchi on the report.
However, Ennahda Movement said in a statement that "putschist authorities insist to insert Ghannouchi's name in such cases for distortion purposes."
The move comes one day after Tunisian authorities froze the financial assets of Ghannouchi and nine other people, including his son and former Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali.
Tunisia has been in the throes of a deep political crisis that aggravated the country's economic conditions since President Kais Saied ousted the government, suspended parliament and assumed executive authority in July 2021. He later dissolved the assembly after lawmakers held a session to revoke his measures.
While Saied insists that his measures were meant to "save" the country, critics have accused him of orchestrating a coup.
* Writing by Ahmed Asmar
