Algerian Court Jails Two Former Prime Ministers For Corruption

An Algerian court has jailed two former prime ministers for corruption.

The court handed down the verdict on Tuesday prior to an upcoming presidential election slated to hold on Thursday.

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Ahmed Ouyahia, who served as prime minister four times, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with $16,000 in fines while Abdelmalek Sellal, a two-time premier, was sentenced to 12 years in prison with $8,000 in fines.

Their convictions were bordering on misappropriation of public funds, abuse of power and granting undue privileges.

They were accused of corrupt practices in a car assembly business as well as secretly funding the fifth term agenda of the then President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in whose administration they also served.

But they denied all the charges.

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Sellal also told the court that he had “not betrayed the country”.

Abdelaziz, Algeria’s longest serving president, had to step down in April after series of protests called for his removal because of alleged corruption and his push for a fifth term in office.

He served as president from 1999 to April, 2019.

Aljazeera reported that some protesters outside the court shouted “Gang of gangsters!” and many waved or wore Algerian flags; and as such, the police surrounded the court stopping demonstrators who tried to get into the building to see the trial in person.

Some demonstrators were also calling for the election not to hold alleging that the former president’s allies were still in charge of government.

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