GENEVA – The Swiss government on Wednesday ordered a freeze on any funds that might be held by Tunisia’s ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Switzerland, Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey said.
The three-year blocking order announced after a regular cabinet meeting followed domestic political pressure as well as legal action by Tunisian exiles in Switzerland this week.
The Federal Council “decided to block with immediate effect any possible funds in Switzerland of former president Ben Ali,” Calmy-Rey, who also serves as the country’s president, said at a press conference.
The move also applies to assets held by “his entourage”, the foreign ministry said in a statement. “Switzerland wants to prevent its financial industry from being used to hide funds,” Calmy-Rey explained.
