Tunisia is proceeding with a war on corruption, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said on Thursday, adding that it is neither “selective, nor personal with political rivals.” The government has been assuming its responsibility in the war on corruption, taking extraordinary measures merely for “sake of Tunisia,” Chahed told the parliament in a questioning session.
The measures were prompted by the belief that the “war on corruption is like the war on terror,” he added.
The Premier stressed that the law is applied to all those found involved in corruption, with no discrimination or selectivity.
Accusing the government with selectivity is “null” and only aims to “defend and cover up the corrupt,” he said.
In 2016, the government formed a security commission to identify the whereabouts of the smuggled goods nationwide, Chahed said, adding that the storage areas were raided in a wide scale campaign that aimed a blow to smugglers and thwarted several smuggling attempts.
The smuggled goods found during the raids hit USD 407 million, leading to a host of key smugglers who were put under house arrest. Goods and cash money found with them reached USD 285 million.
Tunisia’s future is closely connected with “triumph on corruption,” he stressed.
Last May, the government launched a detention campaign that led to the confiscation of the property of 13 businessmen and customs officials. Other 21 customs officials were ousted, as investigation proceeded.
