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HomeAfricaHouda Feraoun and a Former CEO of Algeria Telecom Sentenced to Prison

Houda Feraoun and a Former CEO of Algeria Telecom Sentenced to Prison

Imane Houda Feraoun joins the long list of former senior officials who have been sentenced to prison in corruption cases since the fall of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April 2019.

The verdict fell on Tuesday, October 18 at the economic and financial penal center of Sidi M’hamed (Algiers) in the Algeria Telecom case and the Chinese telecoms giant Huwaei, in which Houda Imane Feraoun is being prosecuted in particular.

The former Minister of Post and Telecommunications  (2015-2020) was sentenced to 3 years in prison, accompanied by a fine of 500,000 dinars. The representative of the prosecution had requested 8 years in prison last week and a 100,000 Da fine against him.

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Prosecuted in the same case, the former CEO of Algeria Telecom Tayeb Kebbal, who appeared free, was more heavily condemned: 5 years in prison with a warrant of committal at the hearing and a fine of 100,000 Da. The prosecution had requested an 8-year prison sentence against him.

Former CEO of mobile operator Mobilis, Ahmed Choudar, as well as other company executives, have been released.

Huawei and ZTE fined

Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE were for their part fined 4 million dinars each, compensation of 100 million dinars with confiscation of seized property. The prosecutor had requested a fine of five million DA against the two Chinese telecom giants.

The accused were prosecuted for squandering public funds, granting undue privileges, and abuse of office. The case concerns the award of a contract to build a fiber-optic network to Chinese companies at the time when Houda Feraoun was Minister of Telecoms. The latter was placed under a warrant of committal in December 2020.

Several former senior officials and former ministers who were part of Bouteflika’s governments (1999-2019) were sentenced to prison terms after being tried in corruption cases. Among which, the two former prime ministers  Ahmed Ouyahia and Abdelmalek Sellal.

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