The draft anti-terrorist and money laundering law was adopted, Saturday at dawn, by the House of People’s Representatives (HPR).
The new law that replaces the law n°2003-75 of December 10, 2003, related to the support international efforts in countering terrorism and money laundering, was passed with a large majority of 174 votes for, 10 against and no HPR Speaker Mohamed Ennaceur described the adoption of the new organic law as a “great achievement” which is “long-awaited by the Tunisian people.”
Lauding “the spirit of compromise” of the various parliamentary groups and parties represented at the HPR about this law, Ennaceur estimated that the anti-terrorist fight has not ended with the adoption of this law. Its adoption, he specified, is but an aspect of the strategy devised by the government and assisted by the parliament, to fight against terrorism and money laundering.
This requires also efforts at all levels and a national mobilisation to combat this scourge, he underlined.
During the plenary session attended by Prime Minister Habib Essid and several government members, articles from 96 to 137 on money laundering were adopted with a majority of 135 to 166 votes.
Ennaceur announced that the new law will be submitted to the authority of control of laws’ constitutionality, before promulgation by the President of the Republic.
Articles 3,7 and 35 did not receive the required majority after introduction of amendments by the Justice Minister.
Article 35 which was finally adopted after a large controversy, stipulates that “knowingly guilty of a terrorist crime and sentenced to one to five-year in prison and a fine of five to ten thousand dinars, anyone, even bound by professional secrecy, who has not reported to the competent authorities the information related to terrorist crimes.”
The proposal to amend the article by adding journalists to the category of professions which benefit of the right to professional secrecy, was not approved during debates, but, a compromise was reached at the end between the various parliamentary groups and the Justice Minister to adopt an amendment proposal involving the right of journalists to professional secrecy, in compliance with the decree-law 115/2011 on the freedom of the press, printing and broadcast.
Source: http://www.tap.info.tn/en/index.php/politics2/28547-draft-anti-terrorist...
