The former Algerian Minister for Solidarity, Djamel Ould Abbes, was sentenced on appeal to 4 years in prison and a fine of 4 million dinars for his involvement in corruption cases.
This trial took place after the Ould Abbes defense commission appealed the verdict handed down by the Sidi M’hamed court which sentenced the former minister to a 3-year prison term and one million dinars in fine, say local media.
Djamel Ould Abbas is being prosecuted, in particular, for cases of embezzlement of funds intended for families who are victims of terrorism. He was also charged with embezzlement and waste of public funds and abuse of power.
The vast investigations into corruption and nepotism launched after the resignation in April 2019 of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, under pressure from an unprecedented popular protest movement “Hirak”, have led to a series of trials that are still ongoing.
Several personalities and former political leaders, as well as powerful bosses, senior civil servants, and senior army officers are tried in the context of these trials. They are prosecuted, in particular, for corruption and illicit enrichment.
