Prosecutor Orders Investigation into Alleged Misappropriation by Ahmed Amiri, President of the Butchers’ Union
The Public Prosecutor’s Office attached to the First Instance Court of Tunis has instructed the Sub‑directorate for Economic and Financial Investigations (under the Judicial Police Directorate) to open an inquiry into a complaint filed by Société Ellouhoum against Ahmed Amiri, the president of the Butchers’ Trade Union.
Allegations
- Misappropriation of public funds: The funds in question belong to the public‑owned company Société Ellouhoum and were entrusted to the union on the basis of a power of attorney signed by a group of butchers for the supply of imported refrigerated meat.
- Manipulation of distribution channels: Amiri is accused of fraudulently using butchers’ tax cards—without their knowledge—to divert meat quantities from Société Ellouhoum and resell them at locations other than those declared to the company. This activity allegedly serves speculation and monopoly purposes, especially problematic because the meat is state‑subsidised.
Judicial Procedure
A judicial source told the Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) news agency that, upon receipt of the investigation report, a judicial information (formal charge) was opened with the Economic and Financial Judicial Pole.
After questioning Amiri, the lead investigating judge of the Economic and Financial Judicial Pole issued, on Tuesday, a detention warrant against Ahmed Amiri.
Charges
The indictment includes the following offences:
- Money laundering by exploiting privileges linked to professional and social functions;
- Illicit monopoly and speculation;
- Qualified breach of trust;
- Complicity of a quasi‑public official who deliberately used his status to cause material damage to an economic enterprise in which the State holds a share of capital, aiming to obtain an unjustified personal advantage.
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