Algerian court will grant Khaled Tebboune, son of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, his innocence in the corruption cases against him after recent developments, a judge, who declined to be named, told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The judge indicated that Khaled might be released instantly, or in worst cases, he will receive a sentence equivalent to the period of his pre-trial detention, which lasted for almost two years.
In any case, the judge believes Tebboune will be released from prison, pointing that he was transferred from his jail cell to a penal clinic after his father became President.
Algiers’ prosecution accused Khaled of receiving bribes from businessmen in exchange for building permits. According to the investigations, Tebboune obtained the necessary licenses from his father, who was the Minister of Housing and Urbanism back then in the years 2012-2014.
The recent development came after the main suspect in the case of cocaine shipment, Kamel Chikhi, gave a surprising statement defending Khaled and saying he was forced to admit to his involvement in spite of Tebboune’s innocence.
Chikhi, dubbed El-Bouchi, said he was subjected to physical violence and beaten by the gendarmerie, forcing him to say Khaled was involved in corruption cases and received bribes.
Investment in construction and real estate is the most important of Chikhi’s business activities, which he was on trial for on Tuesday.
The businessman will also face trial in the case of smuggling 700 kilograms of cocaine which was seized by the Coast Guard on a ship coming from Spain in May 2017.
He explained that Khaled was visiting him in his office and the surveillance cameras showed him receiving a perfume, saying it was a gift.
“Khaled Tebboune has nothing to do with the case, and he was a set up to get to his father,” Chikhi told the courtroom, adding that the President’s son did not help him or interfere or mediate in any of his projects as some claim.
Chikhi asserted he was innocent of both charges of drug smuggling and the real estate.
Among the six defendants in the cases of El-Bouchi, sons and a driver of former police chief Abdelghani Hamel, as well as a judge and a mayor, who according to investigations granted Chikhi facilities to establish luxury residential buildings in exchange for benefiting from apartments in them.
During his presidential campaign, Abdelmadjid Tebboune said his son’s imprisonment was “a conspiracy” targeting him personally. He implicitly accused “the gang” referring to affiliates of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who are all imprisoned.
The public prosecutor asked for a 10-year sentence against Chikhi and two years in prison Khaled Tebboune. Other rulings against the remaining defendants ranged between 7 and 10 years.
