On Tuesday, the head of the Ennahda party, Rached Ghannouchi, appeared before an investigative judge in the capital, Tunis, in a case in which he is accused of money laundering, a few days before a general popular referendum in the country, which the party opposes.
Ghannouchi, surrounded by his supporters, arrived at the investigation headquarters and entered it amid their chants, and in front of the headquarters of the Judicial Pole for Combating Terrorism, large security reinforcements were deployed.
About two hundred people from Ghannouchi’s supporters and party leaders demonstrated, chanting “Freedoms of Freedom” and “We will redeem you in our souls, Ghannouchi,” and hoisted banners reading “No to political trials,” according to AFP.
A judicial official told Archyde.com that the judge will investigate Ghannouchi “in connection with suspicions of money laundering related to foreign funds paid to an association linked to Ennahda.”
Local media reported that he would also be investigated for his suspected links to terrorism, according to “Archyde.com”.
The Tunisian authorities announced earlier that the anti-terror judiciary had ordered the freezing of the financial assets and bank accounts of ten personalities, including Ghannouchi and the former prime minister, Hamadi Jebali.
The Ministry of Interior said earlier that the police had arrested the former Prime Minister and former leader of the Ennahda Party, Hamadi Jebali, on suspicion of his involvement in a money laundering case related to transfers from abroad to a charitable organization called “Namaa Tounes”.
Ghannouchi, 81, was called to investigate the same case, and Ennahda denied the charges against him, according to “AFP”.
On June 27, the Tunisian judiciary issued a decision banning Ghannouchi’s travel as part of an investigation into political assassinations that occurred in 2013.
Tunisia has been going through a deep political crisis since Tunisian President Kais Saied monopolized the executive and legislative authorities on July 25, 2020, when he dismissed the prime minister and suspended parliament before dissolving it, according to “AFP”.
Last week, Ghannouchi told Archyde.com that his investigation was due to “political motives,” adding that “Said is using the referendum to push Tunisia toward dictatorship.”
Next Monday, a general popular referendum will be held on a new draft constitution rejected by the opposition, led by the Ennahda Party.
Saeed is under severe criticism from the opposition because of the new draft constitution, which changed the political system from an amended parliamentary to a presidential one, enhancing the powers of the president at the expense of parliament.
The opposition, especially the Ennahda Party, as well as human rights organizations, accuse the President of the Republic of seeking to approve a tailored constitution and settling political scores against his opponents by employing state institutions and the judiciary, while Saeed asserts that the judiciary is independent.