Magharebia

A Tunis appellate court on Thursday (November 3rd) upheld prison sentences imposed last August in the Carthage Airport corruption case, TAP reported. Nearly two dozen defendants – all relatives of ousted Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, including his wife Leila Trabelsi – received sentences ranging from four months to six years. The former first lady was given a six-year sentence, and son-in-law Sakhr El Materi received four years, both in absentia. Moez Trabelsi will serve six years, Imed Trabelsi will serve two and other Trabelsi relatives will serve prison terms of less than two years.

The members of the Ben Ali clan were arrested last January for unlawfully attempting to flee the country, possessing large sums of foreign currency without authorisation from the Central Bank, jewel trafficking and credit card fraud.

Also Thursday, the court upheld the acquittal of former Ben Ali security chief Ali Seriati on charges of forging passports for the president and his family. Seriati remains in custody, however, pending other charges for plotting against the state and provoking disorder.