Lawyer Ahmed Souab, a member of the defence lawyers team of former minister, MP and businessman Mehdi Ben Gharbi, strongly, decried a «politicised» case, saying his client has been a victim of political «manipulation»

collective defense of former minister, MP and businessman, Mehdi Ben Gharbia, has strongly decried a “politicized case”, saying that his client has been a victim of a “manipulation” in the fight against corruption and “blackmail by extortion gangs».

Mr. Souab who spoke at a press conference held Monday by the defence lawyers team of Mehdi Ben Gharbia to shed light on the status of the case blasted «obvious violations,» in treatment of the case that has turned from «purely economic» to «financial, corruption and fraud.»

«However, we have managed to prove that this case is devoid of any legal basis,» he said, claiming that bloggers have tried to blackmail his client and extort the sum of 50,000 dinars.

He added that the Public Prosecutor of Sousse “has knowingly manipulated the case” and refused of to include evidence of innocence of his client, noting that the defense lawyers have filed a complaint against the prosecutor for “abuse of process, concealment of presumptions of innocence and excessive adjournment of the trial.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office on October 20, 2021 opened an investigation against Mehdi Ben Gharbia and 12 other people, including a financial director and an administrative director, over suspected corruption in two freight and consulting companies belonging to Ben Gharbia.

The suspects were charged with forgery, fraud and money laundering. Ben Gharbia was charged with abuse of power.

Source: Tap News Agency