The criminal chamber of the court of first instance of Tunis has deliberated the case against journalists Borhane BĂȘtes and Mourad Zeghidi, after examining the requests for release presented by their defense.
The two men, prosecuted in a case of money laundering and tax evasion, remain awaiting the next hearing date.
A dismissal under arrest decided on appeal
During the session, the defense of the two journalists submitted two separate requests for release. At the end of the pleadings, the criminal chamber chose to reserve its decision, putting the entire case under advisement in order to rule at a later date on these requests and to schedule the next hearing.
Before this step, the indictment chamber of the Tunis Court of Appeal had ordered the referral of Borhane BĂȘtes and Mourad Zeghidi under arrest to the criminal chamber.
This decision marks a notable development in the handling of the case, which concerns serious accusations: money laundering, tax evasion. According to an authorized judicial source reported by Mosaique fm, these charges motivated the continued detention of the two journalists pending their trial.
Tax offenses
Borhane BĂȘtes and Mourad Zeghidi are being prosecuted for money laundering, an accusation based on the alleged use of facilities linked to their functions, their professional activities and their social and relational networks. Investigators believe that these advantages would have been exploited to hide or recycle funds of illicit origin.
In addition to the accusations of money laundering, the defendants are also targeted for multiple tax breaches: reduction of more than 30% of turnover, non-payment of withholding taxes due to the Treasury, non-payment of VAT due and failure to issue invoices or fee notes in accordance with article 18 of the VAT Code. These irregularities constitute a significant part of the file transmitted to justice.
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