Mohamed Adel Ben Smail, Chairman of the Confiscation Committee confirmed in an interview with AfricanManager, that property of dubious origin seized since the Revolution, are now part of the State property. The committee has provided diligent efforts to further preserve job positions to avoid negative consequences on the national economy. Interview:
1. How long will last the situation of “standby” experienced by agricultural companies and other confiscated businesses since the Revolution?
This case concerns not only the committee but also the various sides, namely the Prime Ministry, the board of management, the State.
Note here that the administrators who are concerned with the issue of agricultural properties continue to work harder to achieve the desired objectives.
I would also like to point out that we lost much time, and unfortunately we have taken advantage of the agricultural season for the year 2011-2012.
2. Can confiscated companies saved, especially since they provide thousands of family-sustaining jobs?
In my opinion, we must cooperate and process the cases as soon as possible. In doing so, we will save these companies that remain the only source of life for many employees.
It is necessary that the different parts work harder to solve the problems of these companies.
3. How many companies have been confiscated so far by the committee?
The Committee has confiscated, so far, 117 companies and more than 233 land titles. It also collected financial portfolios which it has made available to the state. From next week we will deal with other titles: about 20 or 23.
4. How do you respond to accusations made by certain parties on the possible complicity in the confiscation committee with Marouane Mabrouk?
The committee has nothing to do with parties prosecuted in the case Skandrani / Mabrouk. The Committee seeks only to ensure the proper functioning of the company and to spare it spending that can generate unnecessary financial imbalances.
I want to remind that a receiver of the property owned by Marouane Mabrouk has been appointed.
The committee members refuse to be subject to any denigration and are ready to resign at any time in case the work of the committee would have been unsatisfactory.
5. a campaign was recently launched on social networks by questioning the credibility of the committee, what do you think?
The committee was created in the wake of the Revolution, if there are people who doubt the legitimacy of the decree establishing the committee, they can appeal to the administrative court.
I say that the decree was enforced even before the creation of the committee. However, it is quite normal to have doubts in the case of the absence of information. So we are always ready to respond to all subjects and all questions asked. The work of the committee is technical. Responses will be made at the right time.
6. What do you think of the sale of presidential palaces, having been told that the sale of the presidential palaces could bring millions of dinars to the state?
I have already spoken on this subject, so I want to remind that these presidential palaces do not belong to the deposed president but to the State, except that of Sidi Dhrif which the deposed president is the owner.
For example, the land of Mornag was previously operated by Wassila Bourguiba, and then the Ben Ali’s clan seized it for their benefit in 1992.
So, they are properties owned by the state. We are studying the decree on the palaces, and we confirm that they are state properties.
