Tunisian judge questions Ghannouchi in money laundering probe

Rached Ghannouchi, head of Tunisia’s Ennahda party, arrives at the office of the counter-terrorism prosecutor in Tunis, yesterday.

Tunisia’s Islamist movement leader Rached Ghannouchi appeared before at a Tunis court yesterday to answer questions in a money laundering investigation that his Ennahda party rejects as a political ploy.The preliminary hearing before an investigative judge comes less than a week before President Kais Saied holds a referendum on a new constitution that would greatly expand his powers in a move that Ennahda and many other parties have rejected as illegal. About 200 people gathered in front of the court, chanting “Down with the coup”, referring to Saied’s seizure of powers, and “Ghannouchi, you are not alone”. They raised banners that read “stop political trials”.A judiciary official told Reuters the judge would investigate Ghannouchi over suspicions of money laundering relating to foreign funds paid to an Ennahda-linked association.Local media have reported that he would also be investigated for suspected links to terrorism.The judge has ordered a freeze on the financial assets of Ghannouchi, who is the speaker of the parliament that Saied has dissolved, the former prime minister Hamadi Jebali and several other people. Last week, Ghannouchi told Reuters the investigation into him was politically motivated and said Saied was using the referendum to push Tunisia towards dictatorship. He said in a statement yesterday, “the malicious charges fall within the framework of passing a constitution that enshrines tyranny”.