(Adds comment by attorney representing Tunisia)
ZURICH, July 6 (Reuters) - Tunisia has filed an objection toHSBC's agreement to pay 40 million Swiss francs ($43million) to settle a money laundering investigation at its Swissprivate bank, a lawyer representing the North African countrysaid on Monday.
After four months of inquiries Geneva authorities closedtheir investigation last month after HSBC agreed to pay thefine.
Leaked files this year sparked allegations HSBC's privatebank may have let clients conceal millions of dollars of assetsand put Europe's largest lender in the spotlight of regulatorsincluding Geneva's public prosecutor.
Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung reported on Sunday thatTunisia, which is trying to recover funds linked to oustedautocratic leader Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, had made an objectionon June 16 to the settlement.
Yves Klein, a Geneva lawyer representing Tunisia, confirmedon Monday the submission to the Geneva Criminal Court of Appeal.
"The purpose of the appeal lodged by the Republic of Tunisiais just to protect its rights in the eventuality that they mightbe affected by the decision of termination of the criminalproceedings," he said in an emailed response to a query.
"The appeal procedure will allow to clarify the situationfrom a legal point of view."
A spokesman for HSBC declined comment.
When the settlement was announced, Olivier Jornot, Geneva'sattorney general, told reporters the case had exposed theweakness of Swiss law in fighting the flow of criminal funds.
"It's easy to ask public prosecutors afterwards to carry outtitanic investigations. But on the other hand when we have a lawthat practically doesn't punish intermediaries accepting moneyof dubious origin, there is a problem," he had said.
The bank said at the time that no criminal charges would befiled and that neither the bank nor its employees were suspectedof any current criminal offences.
HSBC's Swiss arm is still facing investigations by U.S.,French and Belgian authorities.
HSBC has apologised to customers and investors over theprevious failings of its Swiss business and has said theoperation has since been overhauled.
($1 = 0.9404 Swiss francs) (Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Mark Potter)