France urged to freeze Ben Ali assets

FRANCE MUST follow the example of the Swiss authorities and freeze the assets of the family of former Tunisian president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, the Dáil has heard.

The French authorities were sharply criticised by Opposition spokesmen for banking the assets of the families of African and other dictators, which belonged to the “ordinary people” of those countries.

Minister of State for European Affairs Dick Roche said it was “imperative the banking system in Europe is not used in the manner in which it has been historically used, from the time of the Holocaust and earlier”.

Fine Gael foreign affairs spokesman Seán Barrett insisted the EU should condemn this but should also “put in place systems that will not allow this to happen in the EU or any associate country with whom we have a relationship”.

Mr Roche said that “where countries are impoverished by the illegal movement of assets to European soil, any civilised European state should have a view on that which would prevent it happening”.

He expected the Swiss decision would trigger a discussion at the European Council meeting of foreign affairs ministers on January 31st.

Labour foreign affairs spokesman Michael D Higgins asked whether it was the EU’s view France should freeze the Ben Ali family’s assets “given that it is reported that the entourage left with a tonne and a half of gold and that the Swiss government has taken the unusual step of freezing the assets of the entourage”.

Mr Higgins said the Minister of State should also ask at the ministers’ meeting about the assets of the Duvalier family which were “banked in Paris”. When “Papa Doc junior fled Haiti loaded with the assets of the Haitian people there was a deep reluctance on the part of the French government, given its particular form of colonial diplomacy, to freeze the assets of the Duvalier family”.

It was important that the EU “speaks with truth”. Mr Higgins said it was a “serious issue” for the French government also in relation to “many other dictatorship families in Africa”.

Mr Barrett expressed surprise “that so-called civilised states are tolerating the movement into their vaults of vast sums of money and gold without any great difficulty”. This was the money of ordinary people that was “being stolen by dictators who are being given comfort in other countries”.

The Dún Laoghaire TD said “any ordinary person wishing to open a bank account must answer questions in relation to money laundering and supply a utility bill as proof of address”. It was “indefensible that ordinary people are being ripped off by dictators”.

Mr Roche concurred and said there were agreements with Central and South America which included human rights elements.