Tunisian soccer federation president arrested in corruption probe

Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) president Wadie Jary has been arrested as part of an investigation into suspected corruption, the Ministry of Youth and Sports announced on Thursday.

He was arrested following a "judicial complaint lodged by the Ministry concerning the illegality of a contract concluded between the Federation and a technical director", Ministry spokesman Chokri Hamda told local media.

According to him, the case is linked to "financial corruption within the Federation".

Mr. Jary's lawyer could not be reached for comment.

Mr. Jary was elected president of the FTF in 2012.

He is the subject of several investigations into match-fixing, money laundering, embezzlement, and corruption. He has always refuted these accusations with arguments.

Local media also reported deep disagreements between Mr. Jary, a former player and coach, and the Minister of Youth and Sports, Kamel Deguiche.

In the autumn of 2020, a heated dispute broke out between Mr. Jary and Taoufik Mkacher, president of the Croissant Sportif de Chebba (CS Chebba) club. The FTF suspended the east-central club, demanding payment of fines and the submission of administrative documents.

This decision, publicly denounced by Mr. Mkacher as an "injustice", provoked a general strike and demonstrations for over 10 days in this town of 22,000 inhabitants.

Mr. Mkacher and the club's general secretary had been banned from holding office for two years by the FTF following a Facebook post in which the president of CS Chebba denounced the FTF president's "authoritarian" management and lack of transparency, and called for an audit of its finances.