President of the Republic Kais Saied received, on the afternoon of 9 January at the Carthage Palace, Ms Fadhila Gargouri, Deputy Public Prosecutor to the First President of the Court of Audit, who handed him the Court’s general annual report for the past year, along with a number of other sectoral reports.
The Court’s oversight work highlighted numerous irregularities. Losses at just 11 public entities were estimated at around 1,070 million dinars. Among them—most notably—Tunisair, whose losses were put at more than 316 million dinars, and the Office of the Merchant Marine and Ports, where losses were estimated at nearly 291 million dinars. Among the reasons cited for these overruns—indeed, these crimes—were the payment of wages, bonuses and allowances without legal basis, as well as weak monitoring and follow-up mechanisms.
The head of state said these alarming figures reflect the scale of the deterioration and systematic sabotage the country has endured. He stressed that the situation requires legal consequences to be drawn from this corruption, which has spread through several parts of the state apparatus. The Tunisian people have the right to recover their funds in full: reports are important, he said, but even more important are the effects and outcomes that must follow from them.
The President also underscored the need to amend a number of legislative texts, while addressing the root causes that led to a situation that cannot be allowed to continue. He recalled that the people have the right to demand accountability and answerability, as these are their looted funds and their confiscated rights.
The head of state further reaffirmed that the aim is not to establish courts to settle scores, but to ensure an effective Court of Audit and swift, fair justice across all courts, regardless of their jurisdiction.
What's happening in Tunisia?
Subscribe to our Youtube channel for updates.
