Detained Tunisian Olive Oil Executive Investigated for Corruption
The president of Tunisia’s largest olive oil export company, CHO Group, was detained on suspicion of corruption related to state-owned olive plantations, local media revealed Monday.
CHO’s CEO, Abdelaziz Makhloufi, known internationally for the Terra Delyssa olive oil brand, was taken into custody along with several employees and a former agriculture minister following President Kais Saied’s surprise visit to Henchir Chaal, a government-owned plantation that spans 5,000 hectares and holds 360,000 olive trees.
During the visit, President Saied publicly condemned alleged corrupt practices, including the sale of state-run agricultural equipment at undervalued prices.
Makhloufi, who also owns the country’s CS Sfaxien football team, will remain in detention through Tuesday, according to Tunisia’s Business News, while local radio said that 15 others, including a former agriculture minister, are under investigation in the same case.
Last week, prior to the announcement of a formal corruption allegation, a representative from CHO told the Jeune Africa magazine that “our lawyers still do not know the exact reasons why Makhloufi was taken into custody.”
Saied, whose government has been criticized as increasingly authoritarian, has publicly elevated anti-corruption efforts. Olive oil is among Tunisia’s top agricultural exports, with production projected at 340,000 tons for the 2024–25 season, positioning the country third in global output behind Turkey and Spain. Tunisia anticipates a 50% rise in oil exports this year, aiming for around 300,000 tons, according to official figures.
