TUNISIA - Police are investigating Karoui's contract with an Israeli-run lobbying firm

Tunisian prosecutors have asked police to investigate reports that a second-round candidate, Nabil Karoui, has contracted a public relations firm run by a former Israeli intelligence officer to seek the support of US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in his bid for the presidency.

Anatolia news agency quoted public prosecutor Sufian Sulaiti as saying that "the financial judicial pole (a body belonging to the prosecution specialized in cases of financial corruption) authorized the first Central Division of the National Guard in Al-Owaina (police investigating crimes) to urgently search the contract signed between the villager and Loping company (Public relations company), and to take the necessary procedures and review the prosecution of all the work you do. "

He pointed out that "the lawsuit filed by the Democratic Current Party (center-left) in this regard is devoid of support" (without evidence).

The US Department of Justice published a document dated September 26 showing the intervention of Ari Ben Menashe, who presented himself as a former Israeli intelligence officer and director of the Canadian political consulting firm Dickens and Madison for the villager.

On Wednesday, Al-Monitor, a specialist in lobbying for US lobbyists, revealed that Karoui, who is currently on a tax evasion case, spent a $ 1 million contract with the company to get the support of America, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations in seeking a chair. The Presidency.

The contract includes Ben Menashe arranging meetings with President Trump and other senior US officials and President Putin;

Banished my party
In response to the news, the "Heart of Tunisia" party led by Karoui denied the authenticity of the US website on the contract with the company "Denkins and Madson," considering it part of the attempts to target the party in the presidential and legislative race.

"There is no basis for the authenticity of this document," the party said in a statement issued on Thursday.

"Such fierce smear campaigns that have been going on for years have crossed all the red lines and will not be silenced."

The Democratic Current Party has filed a lawsuit against Karoui on the same grounds.

The head of the Independent High Electoral Commission, Nabil Buffon, said in media statements on Thursday that the Commission had been informed of the published documents on the contract of the villager with "Denkins and Madson", and that it will verify these documents, and the data contained therein, to take the necessary action.

The villager was arrested on 23 August on the basis of a complaint filed against him by the local NGO "I WAKEZ" accusing him of corruption, which his lawyer denies.

On September 17, the Election Commission announced that independent candidate Qais bin Said, a constitutional law professor, qualified for the second round of the presidential election with 18.4% of the vote, and the villager with 15.58%.

The commission initially set October 13 as the date for the second round of elections between Saeed and Karoui.