A Tunisian court on Thursday issued arrest warrants for former Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, who is outside Tunisia, as well as a former minister and the director of a financial institution, on suspicion of financial and administrative corruption.

The Tunisian judiciary is investigating suspected corruption in connection with frozen assets held outside Tunisia by businessman Marwan Mabrouk.

Tunisian media reported on Thursday that a court specialising in financial corruption cases decided to refer 10 defendants to the criminal chamber, including businessman and former prime minister Youssef Chahed and former ministers Mabrouk Korshid, Salma Lumi, Anwar Maarouf, Khamis Jhinaoui, Reda Chalghoum, Riad al-Moukhar, Samir Bettalib and Lotfi Ben Sassi.

Youssef Chahed left Tunisia shortly after President Kais Saied announced the extraordinary measures on 25 July 2021.