Tunisia auctions ousted prez Ben Ali's luxuries
24 Dec 2012 12:25 AM GMT
Thousands of luxury items, including a pair of miniature gold sphinxes, diamond encrusted pen and a staggering fleet of luxury cars, belonging to ousted Tunisian president Ben Ali have been put up for auction.
‘This is only 20-30 per cent of the (Ben Ali's) possessions. I say poor Tunisia, it was controlled by a gang leader - not someone fit to lead a country,’ Tunisia's Youth and Sport Minister Tarek Dhyab said.
Dhyab likened the former leader to a gang leader. The Tunisian economy faces a number of challenges following the overthrowing of Ben Ali,'The Telegraph' reported.
‘All the financial returns will enter the government budget which includes the regional development, infrastructure and investment projects generally, but to be clear it's not an oil well. The most important thing is not the financial return but the path of the revolution,’ said Social Affairs Minister Khalil Elzawiah said.
The government hopes that the sale will bring in at least 10 million euros, the report said. A fleet of luxury cars, a multitude of jewellery and dozens of works of art are just some of the myriad of items confiscated from the former President.
Ben Ali fled into exile in Saudi Arabia as protests swept Tunisia in early 2011 as the nascent Arab Spring uprising gained momentum. The possessions were seized after he fled. Tunisia recently marked the second anniversary of a street peddler's self-immolation on December 17, 2010, that led to a revolution in Tunisia and set the region on the path to uprisings in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain.
‘This is only 20-30 per cent of the (Ben Ali's) possessions. I say poor Tunisia, it was controlled by a gang leader - not someone fit to lead a country,’ Tunisia's Youth and Sport Minister Tarek Dhyab said.
Dhyab likened the former leader to a gang leader. The Tunisian economy faces a number of challenges following the overthrowing of Ben Ali,'The Telegraph' reported.
‘All the financial returns will enter the government budget which includes the regional development, infrastructure and investment projects generally, but to be clear it's not an oil well. The most important thing is not the financial return but the path of the revolution,’ said Social Affairs Minister Khalil Elzawiah said.
The government hopes that the sale will bring in at least 10 million euros, the report said. A fleet of luxury cars, a multitude of jewellery and dozens of works of art are just some of the myriad of items confiscated from the former President.
Ben Ali fled into exile in Saudi Arabia as protests swept Tunisia in early 2011 as the nascent Arab Spring uprising gained momentum. The possessions were seized after he fled. Tunisia recently marked the second anniversary of a street peddler's self-immolation on December 17, 2010, that led to a revolution in Tunisia and set the region on the path to uprisings in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain.
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