Tunisia- Almunji Suaidani

The Tunisian judiciary has promised to investigate an espionage case, which was brought out recently.

Tunisian political parties have not agreed about classifying it as either a political and security espionage issue or just a bribery and money laundering case, said Sufian al-Saliti, a spokesman for the financial judicial court.\

Saliti told Asharq Al-Awsat that the authorities summoned Head of the Movement of Tunisia's Project Muhsin Marzouk, Assistant Secretary-General of Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT) Bu Ali Mubaraki and former Adviser to former President Moncef Marzouki Aziz Krishan.

He pointed out that the names mentioned were summoned by the judiciary to be heard as witnesses in the case of bribery and money laundering, as he said, without giving further details on the issue of the espionage.

In this case, charges were brought against a number of politicians and influential figures in the Tunisian social and economic life after revealing their close ties with French businessman John Jacques Demery, who has been living in Tunisia for 10 years and has invested heavily in housing and tourism sectors.

Local media reports revealed that a number of political and union figures, state officials, businessmen and ministers were linked to the French businessman.

However, Saliti stressed that it was considered a matter of bribery and financial corruption at a time when legal entities considered it a case of espionage for the interest of foreign parties.

Marzouk defended his position by telling Asharq Al-Awsat that he was being subjected to a "political assassination attempt" by distorting and fabricating false stories that would harm his reputation.

For his part, Mubarki said these are rumors leaked from the prime minister to mess up the situation in the country.