The Tunis Court of Appeal Specializing in Financial Corruption Cases has issued arrest warrants against Tunisian businessman and former MP Lotfi Ali, as well as the former CEO of the Gafsa Phosphate Company (CPG), Romdhane Souid, TAP reported Saturday. 

Speaking to TAP, Deputy Attorney General Sonia Moussaoui confirmed the issue of the arrest warrants, and in addition to naming Souid and Ali, identified three additional defendants; Slim Feriani, who served as the Minister of Industry under the 2016-2020 Chahed government, as well as Mouldi Ali, Lotfi’s brother, and Abdelwaheb Hfaïedh. Per Moussaoui’s statement, the warrants were issued in connection with alleged corruption crimes, involving a contract for the extraction and transport of phosphates between Souid, Ali, and the three other defendants. 

Phosphate, used in fertilizers, is often regarded as the driving force of Tunisia’s mining sector. However, it has also been a frequent source of social tension and routinely faces allegations of corruption. In August 2021, a Tunisian judge banned 12 government officials from traveling due to their suspected involvement in corrupt activities relating to the mining and transport of phosphates; these individuals were later arrested and charged with corruption crimes. 

Over the years, President Kais Saied has vowed to crack down on corruption in the industry, given the sector’s significant contribution to Tunisia’s GDP (phosphate mining accounts for 4% of GDP and 15% of exports). This crackdown extends to other sectors as well; more recently, the Tunisian Federation of Insurance Companies (TFIC) announced the establishment of the Agency to Combat Fraud and Scams (ALFA) in the insurance sector, in a bid to tackle growing instances of fraud, scams and corruption within the industry.