The head of Tunisia‘s leading olive oil exporter, CHO Group, Abdelaziz Makhloufi, has been detained on suspicion of corruption. Sources familiar with the case have confirmed that his detention has been extended until Tuesday.
Makhloufi, who is also the president of the CS Sfaxien football club, was initially questioned on November 2 as part of an investigation into alleged corruption involving the management of Henchir Chaal, a state-owned land area with 360,000 olive trees.
15 individuals, including a former agriculture minister, are facing prosecution in connection with the case.
In a separate matter, CHO Group has also appealed to the North American olive oil community for assistance in investigating a large-scale theft of its extra virgin olive oil. On September 21, a truckload of Terra Delyssa olive oil was stolen in Montreal, Canada, sparking an ongoing investigation by local authorities. Shortly after, Houston police launched their own inquiry after reports surfaced that a discount retailer was selling the stolen oil at unusually low prices.
CHO Group traced the stolen goods to a Houston warehouse operated by a third-party distributor who Used lot codes from the seized bottles.
The estimated financial loss from these thefts is approximately $3 million. This marks the third time CHO Group’s extra virgin olive oil has been targeted by thieves, although the company believes the most recent thefts are unrelated.
Tunisia’s president, Kais Saied, who has faced criticism for imposing an new authoritarian rule, has made fighting corruption a central priority of his administration.
Olive oil, alongside dates, is one of Tunisia’s main agricultural exports. For the 2024-2025 season, official estimates predict the country will produce about 340,000 tonnes of olive oil, placing Tunisia among the top producers globally, alongside Turkey, and ahead of Greece and Italy, though still far behind Spain, which produces around 1.3 million tonnes.
Tunisian authorities are expecting a 50-percent increase in olive oil exports this year, with an estimated 300,000 tonnes set to be shipped abroad.