Tunisian billionaire Belhassen Trabelsi disappears before deportation date

BelhassenTrabelsi, one of the richest and most powerful members of the former Tunisian regime who's been fighting deportation from Canada, has disappeared off the radar of Canadian authorities.

After years of fighting his deportation, the brother-in-law of former Tunisian dictatorZine el Abidine Ben Ali was supposed to be put on a plane and sent back to Tunisia by the Canada Border Services Agency on Tuesday.

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But documents from a Federal Court decision last week show that Trabelsi has disappeared.

He failed to show up for a scheduled meeting with CBSA officials on May 24, and Trabelsi'sown lawyer told Judge Yvan Roy that he couldn't reach Trabelsi and has no idea where the man is.

The disappearance putsinto question Canada's efforts to deport a man accused of stealing possiblybillions of dollars from the Tunisian people.

A U.S. diplomaticcable leaked in 2010 said Trabelsi'sholdings included"an airline, several hotels, one of Tunisia's two private radio stations, car assembly plants and a real estate development company."

Close connection to Montreal

Trabelsihas always had aclose connection to Montreal.

After travelling to the city several times on governmentbusiness in the 1990s, he applied for and was granted permanent residency status.

Following the fall of the Tunisian regime in 2011, Trabelsi and his family fled to Canada and have been living quietly in Montreal ever since.

The Canadian government has since revoked Trabelsi'sresidency status and frozen his assets.

In a bid to have some of the restrictions on his assets loosened in 2014, Trabelsi told a court he needed money for a private security detail, chauffeur service and to pay to have his children educated atan English-language private school in Montreal.

A fight to stay in Canada

Trabelsiis wanted on fraud charges in Tunisia.

Since 2011, he has applied for refugee status in Canada, and his claim was denied. He then argued that if he was returned to Tunisia, he wouldn't receive adequate medical care. This argument was also rejected by the courts.

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Canada Border Services Agency had arranged to finally send Trabelsi back to Tunisia on Tuesday.

He was fighting that in court and had applied for a stay of removal order, but Roy rejected that as well.

In his decision from last Thursday, Roy revealed Trabelsi had disappeared.

"In the opinion of Mr. Trabelsi's own lawyer, he cannotbe found. This lawyer has submitted an affidavit declaring that his client is unreachable," Roy wrote.

What happens next is up in the air.

Regardingwhat steps the federal government might take next in the case,Public Security Minister Ralph Goodalesaidhe couldn't comment "on the procedure involved."

"It's CBSA'sresponsibility to deal with those who are in the country without the proper authorization, and they are seeking to discharge their obligations," he said.

The Canada Border Services Agency could not immediately be reached for comment.