France's foreign minister, Michèle Alliot-Marie, is facing more damaging criticism over Tunisia after accusations she used the private jet of a businessman allegedly close to the ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali while on holiday.

Alliot-Marie, who faced calls for her resignation after offering to send French security forces to help prop up the dictator's regime, admitted she had used the nine-seater jet but denied its owner was close to the Ben Ali family.

The claims appeared in the satirical investigative paper Le Canard Enchaîné, which said the minister, her partner, Patrick Ollier, also a government minister, and her elderly parents had used the aircraft belonging to Aziz Miled while on holiday in Tunisia after Christmas and after unrest had broken out in the country.

Miled, it said, was a close associate of Belhassen Trabelsi, brother-in-law of Tunisia's former president. Ben Ali fled the country for Saudi Arabia on 14 January after 23 years in power, just days after Alliot-Marie appeared to back his regime after police in the capital, Tunis, had fired on unarmed protesters.

Le Canard claimed Miled, who it said was a "long-time friend" of the minister, had signed an appeal calling for Ben Ali to stand for re-election last summer and was in business with Trabelsi. Switzerland was also reported to have frozen bank accounts and assets belonging to Miled.

Alliot-Marie's office admitted she had taken the private jet, but denied Miled was an ally of Ben Ali, claiming instead he was a victim of the ruling clan.

"Aziz Miled was on board [the jet] and hosted the minister, her partner and some relatives," an aide to Alliot-Marie told AFP news agency.

"But Aziz Miled is not a member of the Ben Ali clan. In fact, he saw 20% of the airline and the chairmanship of the firm taken from him by the Trabelsi family," he said.

"In no way was this a favour from the Ben Ali clan," the aide said.

The family of Ben Ali's wife, Leila Trabelsi, are reported to have used her political influence to demand shares in profitable Tunisian businesses. These alleged mafia-style tactics contributed to his overthrow.