Following the case involving the seizure of more than 700 kg of cocaine from a container ship in May, Algeria had been making several important changes in the security services ……
Following the case involving the seizure of more than 700 kg of cocaine from a container ship in May, Algeria had been making several important changes in the security services associated with the investigation into the scandal, most recently the dismissal of head of gendarmerie, General Menad Nouba.
The dismissal of Nouba comes a week after President Abdelaziz Bouteflika sacked Director General of National Security, Major-General Abdelghani Hamel. Hamel was dismissed from his position after reports that his son and personal chauffeur were involved in smuggling cocaine.
Ministry of Defense reported the news on its website saying Nouba will be replaced by chief of staff of Gendarmerie, General Ghali Belekcir.
Some observers describe Belekcir as the “actual director of intelligence” given his influence and responsibilities. Major-General Bashir Tarqat had been head of the intelligence services since 2015.
The Ministry did not give any reason for terminating Nouba, however, associating him with the cocaine case has become a problem for the higher authorities, especially Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Gaid Salah.
Authorities chose an important occasion for this change, the 56th anniversary of the independence of the country (July 5, 1962), which usually sees changes in the ranks of the military institutions, often affecting officers who are “disfavored”.
General Belekcir supervised investigations into the case of “cocaine containers”, which, on 29 May, special forces from the Algerian Navy boarded a ship sailing from Valencia, Spain and discovered the drugs, which were believed to have originated from Brazil.
Investigations have shown that the ship was hired by a man in his 40s, businessman named Kamel Chikhi, a wealthy meat trader known to have links to politicians and government officials. They provided him with needed legal and political coverage and in exchange, Chikhi was “generous with his clients”.
Nicknamed “the butcher”, Chikhi, two of his brothers and one associate are now in prison.
During the investigation, senior officials accused of aiding Chikhi were also found involved in another case of large real estate projects set up by Chikhi in Algiers and other states. He was able to establish them due to privileges available to him only. Following these suspicions, “Chikhi’s buildings” have in recent months been the subject of controversy among Algerians and even the political class, and it turned out that real estate was a money laundering of drug money.
Major General Hamel was mentioned in the investigations and this angered him, with closed sources saying he felt he was will be put in jail.
This prompted him on June 26 to give a statement on the cocaine case admitting that during initial investigations, there were abuses and violations of the law.
“Fortunately, the judges did not let that slide” he said in reference to the gendarmerie. He also stated that when judiciary took over the case, they refused to summon him for interrogation.
“If you want to fight corruption, you have to be clean,” Hamel said twice.
On social media, Algerians are expressing their fears the case won’t be pursued, especially with the number of top officials mentioned by Chikhi during the investigation. In addition, some officials appeared in videotapes as they receive bribes and gifts from Chikhi.
