A Tunisian court on Tuesday rejected an appeal by presidential candidate Nabil Karoui seeking release from detention pending a verdict in his trial for tax evasion and money laundering, which he denies, a Reuters witness said.
Karoui came second in the first round of the presidential election last month and will compete in a run-off vote against retired law professor Kais Said on October 13 after Tunisia’s electoral commission said he could stand pending a verdict.
The media magnate, who has been under investigation since 2017 for money laundering and tax evasion, was placed in pre-trial detention on August 23 and subsequent applications to free him have been denied.
Karoui, often called the “Tunisian Berlusconi”, is the owner of the popular Nessma TV channel as well as the founder of the anti-poverty Khalil Tounes Foundation. Its philanthropic efforts receive regular coverage on the channel.
Karoui’s Heart of Tunisia (Qalb Tounes) party has called his arrest a “political” move designed to keep him out of office.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)
