Tunisia's Interim Brotherhood leader Arrested

The interim Brotherhood leader of Tunisia’s Ennahda movement, Munther Wanissi, was detained by police on Tuesday and, minutes afterwards, so was Abdel Karim Harouni, who was placed this week under house arrest, the party said, according to the Reuters news agency.

Ounissi’s arrest follows the publication of audio recordings on social media this week, attributed to Wanissi, in which he allegedly accused some officials in his party of seeking to control Ennahda and receiving illegal funds.

In the leak, Al-Wanisi is attacking the Ghannouchi family and a number of the movement’s leaders, and talks about “corruption” within the movement as well as receiving money from abroad.

Meanwhile, journalist Okasha confirmed the “authenticity” of the leaked recording, which she claimed forms part of an investigative work she has been carrying out for several months.

Tunisia’s Public Prosecution Office on Monday opened an investigation into the recordings. Ounissi said in a video on his Facebook page that the recordings were fabricated.

The second detained official, Harouni, heads the Shura Council, the highest-ranking body in Ennahda, which is affiliated to the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group.