Tunisian First Lady forces central bank to give her $60 million in gold bullion

Shortly before former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali was overthrown on Friday the 14th of January, the former First Lady Leila Trabelsi collected $60 million of gold bullion from Tunisia’s central bank. 1.5 tonnes of gold bullion was effectively stolen from the bank with the help of private militia and a phone call from President Ben Ali. Prior to the President’s intervention, the chief of the central bank refused to hand over the gold bullion. After collecting the money, Leila Trabelsi flew to Saudi Arabia to join her husband after he was denied entry to France.

The former first family of Ben Ali were referred to as ‘the mafia’ because of their corrupt dealing and enormous wealth. The family are estimated to have $5.5 billion stowed away in French banks according to French newspaper, Le Monde. Trabelsi was an extremely unpopular figure in the country and her love of wealth and luxury led many poor Tunisians to become angry and to protest. To add to her unpopularity, her family were regarded as the ultimate symbol of corruption and excess in Tunisia.

While many Tunisian’s suffered in poverty, the presidential family owned 50 luxury cars, an array of luxury houses and frequently went on lavish spending sprees in Dubai. On some shopping trips Trabelsi was said to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars. Two of Ben Ali’s and Leila Trabelsi’s daughters reportedly arrived at Disneyland Paris in an attempt to seek asylum. However, it is claimed that the French government told the daughters they were unwelcome in France.

With $5.5 billion already in the bank, why would the first lady feel it was necessary to take $60 million in gold bullion? Could it be that she and her husband fear the French authorities could freeze their bank accounts?

(CC) Image by magharebia http://www.flickr.com/photos/29324474@N02/5201282813/