President of the republic Kais Saied observed signs of corruption during an unannounced visit yesterday to state-owned agricultural estates and complexes in Hanchir Chaâl and Bir Ali Ben Khalifa in Sfax. These estates were assigned to people for operation and management.
The president remarked on the dilapidated state of some warehouses, the decline of agricultural equipment due to lack of maintenance, and attempts to sell off these assets. He cited reports and data revealing financial corruption within a spare parts company affiliated with the agricultural complex, theft of fuel, a decline in annual production, decreased operational capacity, exploitation of workers through subcontracting, and a decrease in the number of sheep from 4,000 to 2,000. Further, he pointed out the lack of maintenance of wells and the misuse of government vehicles for private purposes, among other signs of corruption.
He underscored the existence of a systematic looting operation carried out by certain well-known individuals, whose names he decided not to disclose. He mentioned the sale of agricultural equipment for 167,000 dinars through an auction, the uprooting of about 4,000 olive trees, and the intentional neglect of these trees to the point of them burning due to extreme dryness, all in a bid to exploit the lands.
The president remarked, “There are those who report corruption, but in reality, they are the ‘corruptors’ themselves.”
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