Tunisia-Bounced checks: 7,200 people behind bars and 450,000 individuals wanted

According to the General Coordinator of the collective Soumoud Houssem Hammi, 13 associations, university professionals and civil society activists have asked for an amendment to article 411 of the Commercial Code through the decriminalization of wooden checks and the lifting of the jail sentence while thus maintaining the rights of the creditor and allowing the debtor to resume his activities after the resolution of his situation

In a joint press release, the signatories identified “7,200 people currently behind bars and 450,000 individuals are wanted in the context of bad check cases, representing an annual loss of 140 million dinars”.

As a reminder, article 411 of the Commercial Code on the provisions relating to bad checks provides for imprisonment for five years and a fine equal to forty percent of the check amount.