An Algerian court on Wednesday handed five year prison sentences to former Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui and former health minister Abdelmalek Boudiaf along with fines of 1 million Algerian dinars, the state news agency said.
The sentences from the economic and financial Penal Court were related to a corruption case.
The indictment charges include "exploitation of governmental position for personal gain, in violation of laws and regulations, granting unjustified privileges to others, contrary to legislative and regulatory provisions currently in effect, and deliberate misappropriation of public funds."
Bedoui "strongly denied" the charges brought against him, and alluded to a broad campaign against corruption that targeted high-ranking civilian and military officials, resulting in the conviction of the majority of them with lengthy prison sentences.
For his part, Boudiaf appealed to the judge saying that he "hails from a family that participated in the liberation war" and that "their history prevents any member from engaging in actions that go against the interests of the country."
