France-Tunisia: The hunt hard assets of Ben Ali & Co
Get the money and property that Ben Ali and his family have abroad is a priority of government. But the exercise will not be easy. Explanation by Maud Perdriel Vaissière, general delegate of Sherpa, one of three French associations in becoming involved in the hunt.
WMC: One month after the fall of Ben Ali and three weeks after the launch of various procedures, where are we in the hunt for assets of the Ben Ali Trabelsi clan?
Maud Perdriel Vaissière: Shortly after Sherpa, Transparency International and the Arab Commission for Human Rights have filed a complaint, a preliminary investigation was opened by the Paris prosecutor. A plane parked at Le Bourget has already been seized, but whether other seizures occurred. As plaintiffs, we should receive in the next weeks copy of the results of police investigation.
Other procedures that have the same goal have also been launched in France-by-Tracfin and other European countries. Is there any coordination between them?
Tracfin, the anti-money laundering in France, launched a parallel measure quite favorable to allow things to move forward in this case greater vigilance on transactions involving the assets or property that may belong to relatives of Mr. Ben Ali.
WMC: One month after the fall of Ben Ali and three weeks after the launch of various procedures, where are we in the hunt for assets of the Ben Ali Trabelsi clan?
Maud Perdriel Vaissière: Shortly after Sherpa, Transparency International and the Arab Commission for Human Rights have filed a complaint, a preliminary investigation was opened by the Paris prosecutor. A plane parked at Le Bourget has already been seized, but whether other seizures occurred. As plaintiffs, we should receive in the next weeks copy of the results of police investigation.
Other procedures that have the same goal have also been launched in France-by-Tracfin and other European countries. Is there any coordination between them?
Tracfin, the anti-money laundering in France, launched a parallel measure quite favorable to allow things to move forward in this case greater vigilance on transactions involving the assets or property that may belong to relatives of Mr. Ben Ali.
It would be nice if the various European prosecutors are working together to maximize the chance of asset recovery illegal where they are, identify persons or entities who can serve as nominees to the various acquisitions. But it is unclear whether judicial cooperation is really effective among these states.
there working on this issue with the Tunisian government?
We were not approached by the Tunisian government. We initiated the complaint before the Tunisian authorities to implement and take the initiative to bring theirs in Tunisia. So we have no special contact with the government but we are at his disposal if he wants our support and information.
Your lawyer, William Bourdon recently visited Tunisia. Why?
He basically met with civil society personalities who want to create an organization to fight against corruption in Tunisia.
Is there now a better idea of what the clan Ben Ali has in France?
For various reasons, it is now extremely difficult to appreciate. First, because these assets can take different forms: bank deposits, equity, real estate, cars, etc.. Then, because it would determine the share illegal and those who do not. Finally, tracking of goods is complicated because some properties were not purchased in the names of people close, but by making use of nominees.
Justice is doing its job, hopefully it will optimally. We will have a better idea in the coming weeks and months.
Property acquired money from commissions they are considered illegal?
course. Investing illegal commissions would be bleaching.
Are you concerned that money may have been stored away in the days following the overthrow of the regime of Ben Ali and before the initiation of proceedings to freeze them?
Unfortunately this is not impossible. In any case, the money placed in bank accounts, things can go very fast because sometimes just one click to transfer money from one account to another in France resides in a bank with headquarters in a tax haven. Suffice to say it will be very difficult to recover hands on it. But in terms of land holdings, it takes longer because you can not alienate property overnight.
In light of the above cases, what chance Tunisia you think she have to recover the assets and property of Ben Ali and his family?
Unfortunately there are not many precedents for restitution of illicit assets. The best example is Nigeria which, after the death of Sani Abacha, was able to recover 3 billion. For Tunisia, I am optimistic and I do not think it is naive to say that. Because the problem in such operations is is that it is complicated as the United State and the State victim-receiver are of good will.
In this case, things are looking good: Tunisia has already expressed its desire to recover assets, and other countries, including France and Switzerland, want to show they are willing to work with the Tunisian government. I do not think we will struggle.
possibly put money in tax havens, it is absolutely fatal?
It is more difficult to recover. Representatives of the G20 expressed their willingness to fight more effectively against tax havens. Hopefully this case will be an opportunity to highlight the scandal that is spaces of this nature in the fight against corruption.
0 comments:
Post a Comment