Algeria’s former Minister of Culture Azzedine Mihoubi rejected corruption accusations raised against him claiming he breached regulations during his tenure between 2016 to 2019, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, the source quoted Mihoubi as saying he was not informed of any administrative or judicial action taken against him, after reports indicated he was banned from traveling.
Mihoubi, who was also a former presidential candidate, said he is facing a huge defamation campaign and refuses all corruption accusations.
Ennahar newspaper reported Thursday that the authorities had issued an order banning Mihoubi from traveling as part of investigations into corruption accusations.
The daily said the decision includes family members of the former minister, who temporarily heads the Democratic National Rally (RND), since the imprisonment of its Secretary-General, former Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia on corruption charges.
On the same day, Ennahar announced it will suspend its print after the government pulled its paid ads in the newspaper.
The newspaper belongs to an Ennahar media group, which was the media arm of the former ruling regime. Its owner and manager Mohamed Mokadem,was held in custody last February on charges of “breach of exchange regulations,” “blackmail to gain undue advantage” and “holding foreign bank accounts.”
If pursued, Mihoubi will be questioned by an investigative judge at the Supreme Court, which follows cases of ministers and top-ranking officials.
Mihoubi, 61, is a writer and poet and has many published books. He assumed many official responsibilities, including the Minister of Information.
Political sources linked the ambiguity of Mihoubi’s case with the case of a well-known TV producer, Samira Hadj Djilani, who was accused of “money laundering”, “illicit transfer of capital”, and “misuse of the government job”.
Djilani is a senior official in the culture sector and has worked for many years with several ministers.
Meanwhile, lawyers reported that the defense of former Minister of Culture, Khalida Toumi, intends to request her release for the second time, knowing that the Appeals Court rejected the first one.
Toumi is accused of squandering public funds and awarding illegal privileges, but her family believes she is paying the price “for her extreme loyalty to former President Bouteflika.”
Political and media circles expect many important cases to be submitted to the judiciary after the country had confronted the novel coronavirus.
They believe the cases will relate to several ministers and officials who were imprisoned after Bouteflika stepped down on April 2, 2019.
