Marouane Mabrouk, a prominent Tunisian businessman and former son-in-law of the late dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, has been handed a five-day renewable detention order. This decision comes in the wake of investigations into alleged corruption related to the management of a state-confiscated company, part of a decade-old probe into embezzlement of public funds during Ben Ali’s regime.
Mabrouk, 51, is the head of one of Tunisia’s major business conglomerates, overseeing entities such as Géant, Monoprix, Orange, and Banque BIAT. The focus of the investigation centers on suspicions of “taking control of a company to which the State contributes capital,” specifically the Saïda food group, which deals in cakes and chocolates.
Additionally, Abderrahim Zouari, a 79-year-old former Minister of Transport and Tourism during Ben Ali’s rule, faces a five-day renewable detention order. His arrest is linked to allegations of leveraging his position for personal gain, following a complaint by a non-governmental organization regarding犀利士 corruption in a public contract.
Marouane Mabrouk, previously married to Cyrine Ben Ali, one of Ben Ali’s daughters from a previous marriage, co-manages the Mabrouk family business, which also holds control over Orange Tunisia. Notably, Orange Tunisia was launched a year before the 2011 revolution that ousted Ben Ali and marked the beginning of the Arab Spring.
Post-revolution, Mabrouk’s assets were officially seized and transferred to the Karama Holding fund, tasked with overseeing ill-gotten gains of the Ben Ali family. President Kais Saied, seeking to replenish Tunisia’s finances, established a “criminal reconciliation” commission in March 2022, aiming to drop legal proceedings in exchange for penalties or significant projects.
However, in March 2023, President Saied dismissed the head of the commission due to its failure to collect the anticipated sums, estimated at 4 billion euros according to an official report. The move reflects ongoing efforts to address corruption issues and recover misappropriated funds in Tunisia.
