Tunisia’s central bank head resigns amid pressure

TUNIS, Tunisia – The governor of Tunisia’s central bank has resigned after Prime Minister Youssef Chahed set in motion a process to remove him from his post.

Chedli Ayari tendered his resignation Wednesday night, a week after the European Parliament put the North African country on a list of non-EU nations believed to pose a risk of money laundering and terrorist financing.

Tunisian media accused the Central Bank of Tunisia, under Ayari’s direction since 2012, of turning a blind eye to “obscure transfers” received from non-governmental organizations and political parties.

Ayari’s critics also hold him responsible for the fall in the value of the Tunisian dinar and the decline in the central bank’s foreign reserves, which have reached their lowest level in over 20 years.