Interview with Ben Ali's relative causes stir

Salim Chiboub Tunisia – Azhar al-Jarboui A Tunisian Channel announced that they will challenge the ban of a programme hosting Salim Chiboub, former Tunisian President Ben Ali's son-in-law . The programme’s presenter Moez Bin Gharbia interviewed Chiboub in Dubai. Sources said Gharbia was subject to pressure to prevent him from broadcasting this episode of “al-Tasiaa”. The programme was banned when an urgent complaint was made by the general prosecutor. Tunisian President Hamadi Jebali said broadcasting this interview would challenge the current government. “We will not accept this and the channel is legally owned by the Tunisian public,” he said. The channel’s manager, Sami al-Fehri was arrested two months ago for financial corruption during Ben Ali’s regime. The channel is partly owned by Belhassan Trabelsi, brother of Ben Ali’s wife Leila Trabelsi. They are facing disputes with the current government headed by Islamic Revival Party.   The channel announced in its official Facebook page that it will broadcast the interview on Friday evening saying they refuse to obey the ban. In the interview, Chiboub expressed his desire to return to Tunisia. “I want to return to Tunisia today before tomorrow. I don’t want to hurt the Tunisian people,” he said. Chiboub is married to the daughter of former Tunisian President Ben Ali. He was a cafe owner even when Ben Ali came to power in Tunisia in 1987. Soon after, he became wealthy and presided over the famous Tunisian Esperance team between 1989 and 2004 in Tunisia, the Arab world and Africa. Chiboub fled to the United Arab Emirates when President Ben Ali was overthrown on January 14th 2011. He was sentenced in absentia in March 2012, to five years in prison after being convicted of possessing weapons without a permit.