Tunisia recovers yacht of ex-dictator's nephew

[April 16, 2013]  TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) -- Tunisia has received from Italy a yacht worth more than half a million dollars that once belonged to the nephew of its deposed dictator.

Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Larayedh and central bank head Chedli Ayari were on hand Monday to receive the yacht of Kais Ben Ali, which had been anchored in an Italian port.

The $626,000 yacht was the latest item of the regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, overthrown in January 2011, recovered by the Tunisian government.

On Thursday, the government received a check for $28 million recovered by the U.N. from a Lebanese bank account belonging to the dictator's family.

Ben Ali and his wife's family were widely believed to have benefited from their positions to acquire business interests in all sectors of the country.

[Associated Press]

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