Ben Ali’s wife leaves him and moves to Dubai

Sources say that tensions in the relationship between the deposed Tunisian President Ben Ali and his wife Leila have forced her to move from their residence in Saudi Arabia to Dubai. According to Algerian El Shorouk newspaper on Monday, “sources close to the Ben Ali family confirmed that Leila has left her residence in Abha, Saudi Arabia, after tensions emerged between her and Ben Ali.” The same sources said that the couple’s relationship worsened after the recent attempted assassination of her brother, Belhasan al-Trabelsi, in Canada. According to sources, Leila will not be short of money in Dubai. “Leila, who was aiming to become the first female Tunisian President, has a large amount of money from properties and bonds in the UAE.” She was also accused of stealing 1.5 tonnes of gold from banks in Tunisia before the couple fled the country, although Tunisia’s Central Bank has denied the accusation. According to other sources, Leila may divorce her husband, which would give her no reason to stay in Saudi Arabia. Previous news reports have said that Leila recently tried to take her own life by ingesting poison.