Tunisia party chief slapped with five years behind bars

TUNIS (AA) – A Tunisian court on Wednesday sentenced Slim Riahi, secretary-general of the Nida Tounes Party, to five years behind bars for bouncing checks.

The sentence was handed down in absentia as Riahi is currently out of the country.

Tayeb Sadiq, Riahi’s lawyer, told Anadolu Agency that the verdict was handed down by Tunis’s Court of First Instance.

The ruling, however, can still be appealed before a higher court.

The bounced check that landed Riahi in court was reportedly written out for 300,000 Tunisian dinars, which is roughly equivalent to $100,000.

In 2017, Riahi’s assets were frozen by the Tunisian judiciary amid allegations of money laundering.

The following year, Riahi was appointed secretary-general of Nida Tounes, which -- with 41 seats in parliament -- remains a key component of Tunisia’s ruling coalition government.