Tunisia's Ben Ali convicted in absentia
Source: Agencies |
June 22, 2011, Wednesday
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TUNISIA'S former president and his wife were convicted in absentia on embezzlement and other charges on Monday after US$27 million in jewels and public funds were found in one of his palaces.
Five months after being forced from power, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Leila Trabelsi were sentenced to 35 years each in prison and fined tens of millions of dollars in the first of what is sure to be a long string of trials.
However, the trial in some ways failed to live up to its billing. With the 74-year-old Ben Ali not present for his judgment, there was a sense of frustration among many. The couple went into exile on January 14 in Saudi Arabia, which failed to respond to an extradition request.
Monday's convictions followed a day-long hearing before the Tunis criminal court.
The ex-president was fined 50 million dinars (about US$36 million) and his wife 41 million dinars (US$29.8 million) for embezzlement of public funds and misappropriation.
The trove of jewels, some which the court said had "historic value," and the money were found in a palace in the picturesque town of Sidi Bou Said, outside Tunis, following Ben Ali's departure.
The verdict in a second affair stemming from the discovery of weapons and drugs in the official presidential palace in Carthage, targeting only Ben Ali, was postponed. Public defenders assigned to Ben Ali said on Monday that they needed time to study the file. The trial will resume on June 30.
Ben Ali vigorously denied the charges in a statement through his French lawyer, calling the proceedings a "shameful masquerade of the justice of the victorious."
"I devoted my life to my country and aspire, at the twilight of my existence, to conserve my honor," Ben Ali said.
Ben Ali, and in particular his widely detested wife's Trabelsi clan, are widely accused of treating Tunisia as their personal property to amass money, privilege and power.
Five months after being forced from power, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Leila Trabelsi were sentenced to 35 years each in prison and fined tens of millions of dollars in the first of what is sure to be a long string of trials.
However, the trial in some ways failed to live up to its billing. With the 74-year-old Ben Ali not present for his judgment, there was a sense of frustration among many. The couple went into exile on January 14 in Saudi Arabia, which failed to respond to an extradition request.
Monday's convictions followed a day-long hearing before the Tunis criminal court.
The ex-president was fined 50 million dinars (about US$36 million) and his wife 41 million dinars (US$29.8 million) for embezzlement of public funds and misappropriation.
The trove of jewels, some which the court said had "historic value," and the money were found in a palace in the picturesque town of Sidi Bou Said, outside Tunis, following Ben Ali's departure.
The verdict in a second affair stemming from the discovery of weapons and drugs in the official presidential palace in Carthage, targeting only Ben Ali, was postponed. Public defenders assigned to Ben Ali said on Monday that they needed time to study the file. The trial will resume on June 30.
Ben Ali vigorously denied the charges in a statement through his French lawyer, calling the proceedings a "shameful masquerade of the justice of the victorious."
"I devoted my life to my country and aspire, at the twilight of my existence, to conserve my honor," Ben Ali said.
Ben Ali, and in particular his widely detested wife's Trabelsi clan, are widely accused of treating Tunisia as their personal property to amass money, privilege and power.
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