Tunisian PM vows to fight graft in the country

Tunisian prime minister has declared war against graft in the country.

Youssef Chahed said on Wednesday that the government will “see the war through the end and there’s no choice.”

“I want to reassure all Tunisians that the government will see this war on corruption through to the end, I ask all Tunisians to be united and work together for Tunisia,” he added.

He was speaking after the arrest of three businessmen and a customs officer on suspicion of graft and financing protests in the North African country.

Corruption was widespread under longtime president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was ousted in a 2011 uprising, and has remained endemic since.

Tunisia was ranked 75th out of more than 170 countries in the 2016 corruption perceptions index published by Transparency International.