Tunisian First Lady Flees Nation with 1.5 Tons of Gold
Source: Business Insider, Gus Lubin (1/18/11)
"The so-called Tunisian Marie Antoinette raided gold reserves with private militia."
The wife of Tunisia's ousted president picked up some choice items before fleeing the country last week: 1.5 tons of gold bars worth $56 million.
Leila Trabelsi raided the country's gold reserves with the help of private militia and a phone call from her husband, diplomatic sources tell Le Monde. The chief of Tunisia's bank refused to hand over the money until former president Ben Ali intervened.
Trabelsi and her gold joined Ali in exile in Saudi Arabia.
Known as the Tunisian Marie Antoinette, Trabelsi opulent lifestyle helped spur popular outrage.