Political corridors in Algeria are living in anticipation of a new group of senior officials from the former President Abdulaziz Bouteflika era being brought before justice after the conclusion of graft and corruption investigations.
Two ex-prime ministers, several former ministers, and business tycoons have been brought under the scope for misconduct in vital sectors of the North African state’s economy.
Some were jailed in 2019 after the judiciary convicted them of first-degree crimes, while others are still awaiting trial.
“A new group of former officials in government agencies will soon be summoned before investigative judges of the Supreme Court (the highest body in the civil judiciary),” a well-informed judiciary source, who requested anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“Others will be summoned to the courts of the first instance to respond to suspicions of corruption, mismanagement, and squandering of public money,” they added.
“Most of them were named during the interrogation of former officials, who were convicted by the judiciary in the past two years to prison,” the source added.
Last Thursday, the judiciary placed former Finance Minister Arezki Berraki in pretrial detention.
He was placed in custody based on charges of mismanaging water dams.
Taher Khawa, who served as the Minister of Relations with Parliament, was also imprisoned for forging official documents.
The most famous officials from the Bouteflika regime sentenced by the judiciary include former Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, Abdelmalek Sellal, Said Barakat, and Jamal Ould Abbas.
They were each given imprisonment sentences varying between 10 to 15 years. Some were also put on death row.
All judicial observers of the prosecution and investigative judges stated that the suspects claimed having implemented President Bouteflika’s decisions and policies, the source told Asharq Al-Awsat.
They were quoted as saying that rejecting the president’s decisions in managing mega deals and projects would have led to their dismissal and prosecution, the source added.
