New judicial twist in corruption cases linked to the Old Regime: the accusation chamber specializing in financial corruption files to the Tunis Court of Appeal decided on Tuesday to refer the former Minister of State and Land Affairs, Ridha Grira, as well as another accused, before the criminal chamber specializing in the affairs of financial corruption near the Tunis court of first instance.
This dismissal follows an investigation relating to alleged irregularities in the sale of agricultural land belonging to the State, in a case where the direct influence of the former fallen president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was highlighted. Justice has, moreover, pronounced the ranking of the accusation against Ben Ali because of his death, in accordance with the provisions of Tunisian criminal law.
According to the first elements of the investigation, the disputed transfer was operated outside the legal rules, for the benefit of private parties, with suspicions of favoritism, abuse of power and embezzlement of public interest. The instruction notably highlighted political pressures exerted on the land administration to conclude the operation, at the time when Ridha Grira held a strategic position within the government.
The accusation chamber considered that the elements gathered were serious enough to justify a referral to the criminal court, which will be responsible for instructing the bottom of the case and of judging individual responsibilities.
Ridha Grira, already quoted in other files linked to the Ben Ali period, will therefore have to respond to the courts of facts that can be qualified as financial and administrative corruption. The second accused, whose identity has not been specified, is also continued in this case for his alleged role in the execution of the transfer.
