(Bloomberg) -- A Tunisian media mogul running for the presidency was arrested on Friday, his party said, hours after local media reported a warrant had been issued for alleged tax evasion.
Nabil Karoui, the owner of Nessma TV and a preliminary candidate in the Sept. 15 election, was “kidnapped by the security services,” his political adviser, Oussama Khlifi, said by phone. He declined to comment on the reasons for his detention.
Mosaique FM, a local broadcaster, reported earlier Friday that Tunisian authorities had issued arrest warrants for Karoui and one of his brothers in connection with allegations of tax evasion and money laundering.
Karoui is among about two dozen would-be candidates awaiting confirmation to run in the presidential vote, which comes at a crucial time for Tunisia. The North African nation that was the birthplace of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings is struggling to revive its economy.
--With assistance from Souhail Karam.
To contact the reporter on this story: Jihen Laghmari in Tunis at jlaghmari@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net, Michael Gunn
©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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