The Criminal Chamber specializing in financial corruption cases decided today to put under advisement the case targeting former Minister of Transport Abdelkrim Harouni, businessman Mohamed Frikha and several executives of a national oil company.
The hearing was devoted to requests for provisional release. The date for the next stage of the trial will be set at a later date.
A hearing focused on requests for release
Gathered before the Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance of Tunis, the defense lawyers pleaded this Thursday for the provisional release of their clients still detained: Abdelkrim Harouni, influential former minister, Mohamed Frikha, well-known figure in the private sector, as well as two executives of the public oil company involved in the case. Two other defendants, prosecuted while at large, are also involved in the case.
After detailed examination of the procedural requests, the Criminal Chamber chose to put the case under advisement, thus suspending any immediate decision and postponing the continuation of the trial to a later date, reports Mosaique fm.
This step comes after a previous decision by the specialized indictment chamber at the Tunis Court of Appeal, which ordered the referral of the defendants to the trial court.
The Court considered that the elements of the file justified the opening of a criminal trial for financial offenses linked to controversial commercial transactions between Mohamed Frikha’s company and the national oil company.
According to the first elements, these operations would have involved undue advantages, irregular contracts or contested administrative decisions, at the heart of suspicions of corruption.
Abuse of office and financial offenses
The defendants are notably being prosecuted for abuse of office, an offense provided for by article 96 of the Tunisian Penal Code. This provision sanctions any public official using his position to obtain an illegal advantage – for himself or a third party – to the detriment of the administration or in violation of the procedures in force.
For the investigating magistrates as well as for the indictment chamber, the elements collected during the investigation would justify the continuation of the investigations before a court specializing in financial crimes.
Read also
