'Sheratongate' Shakes Tunisian Ruling Party
The scandal implicating Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem — the son-in-law of Ennahdha party head Rached Ghannouchi — over expensive hotel bills is yet another challenge to Tunisia’s ruling party and government, reports Mischa Benoit-Lavelle from Tunis.
TUNIS – Some call it the rise of investigative journalism in Tunisia, others call it an attack by political enemies: a series of embarrassing leaks have damaged the credibility of the ruling Islamist party in this North African country, and exposed cracks in the coalition in which it governs.
The first dirty laundry was aired by blogger Olfa Riahi. Ms. Riahi published bills from the Sheraton Hotel in Tunis showing that Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem – the son-in-law of Ennahdha party head Rached Ghannouchi — charged expensive rooms to the ministry account, an apparent misuse of public funds.
The accusations were met with tardy and sometimes contradictory explanations from Mr. Abdessalem.
Just days later, Ms. Riahi went public with another leak. This time, Ms. Riahi presented correspondence indicating that Mr. Abdessalem's Foreign Ministry had received a one million dollar gift from the state of China directly into ministry coffers, which would be in violation of budget and oversight laws.
