TUNIS, Tunisia — The European Parliament has added Tunisia to its list of countries at “high risk” of money laundering and terrorist financing. The Feb. 7 measure raised public and official discontent. Tunisia Central Bank Gov. Chadli Ayari submitted his resignation hours before a vote on his dismissal on Feb. 15. The following day, World Bank official Marouane Al Abbasi was appointed by the Tunisian Parliament as his successor.

Article 78 of the Tunisian Constitution states that the Central Bank governor — who enjoys the capacities of a minister — shall be dismissed upon a proposal by the prime minister following the approval of the absolute majority of Tunisian members of parliament, or under the request of one-third of Tunisian parliamentarians and the approval of the absolute majority of the members.

Al-Monitor spoke with Sufian al-Sulaiti, the official spokesman for the public prosecutor's office of the Tunis Court of First Instance and the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Unit. He said that on Feb. 9, the Tunisian government referred to the court's five Central Bank officials suspected of being involved in money laundering cases amounting to 250 million euros ($305 million).

“The case implicated the head of the bank's Foreign Exchange Department and other cadres,” he said. “The five officials are accused of money laundering, bribery and misappropriation of public funds.”