Tunisair debunks rumors about seizure of its aircraft in Munich

Tunisia’s national carrier Thursday denied that one of its jets had been seized at Munich airport as part of a court case in which the Tunisian state owns to Dutch firm ABCI Investment.

Confronted with mounting rumors of alleged seizure, the airline in a statement indicated that its two flights from the German city, Munich-Tunis and Munich-Djerba touched down in the North African country as planned.

The rumors came following a ruling by the international arbitrary court for investment dispute which condemned the Tunisian state and reportedly ordered it to pay $1 billion in reparation to ABCI Investment in a court case dating back to 1989 when the Tunisian state nationalized Banque Franco‐Tunisienne, a bank controlled by ABCI Investment.

Mohsen Hassen, a former Trade Minister Thursday indicated that ABCI was instructed to seize the Tunisian state properties or assets if it fails to pay the reparation cost, Huffpost Maghreb reports.

Last week, following the court ruling, ABCI reportedly seized Paris-based Tunisian Foreign Bank, controlled by the Tunisian state via Societe Tunisienne de Banque (STB) and BH Bank.

Chedly Rahmani, the representative of the Tunisian state in the dispute, branded Hassen’s remarks baseless and said Tunisia will appeal the court decision.