Tunisian court sentences former minister and media founder to prison

A specialized financial corruption chamber at the Tunis Tribunal has sentenced former Minister of Religious Affairs Mohamed Khelil and Telvza TV founder Zouheir Latif to four years in prison each, plus a fine.

The ruling, issued in the first instance, concerns a media contract valued at approximately 650,000 dinars. The contract was part of the ‘Ghodwa Khir’ national campaign aimed at raising awareness against terrorism and extremism. The agreement between the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Latif’s company covered the production of documentaries, audiovisual spots, and the mobilization of journalistic and technical resources.

The legal issue centered on the use of direct negotiation to award the contract rather than a standard public tender process. While the defense argued that direct negotiation does not inherently prove corruption and noted that the file had been reviewed by a government commission, the court issued the convictions. The judgment is subject to appeal.