Algerian judiciary opens major graft cases from Boutiflika's reign

Algerian Judiciary on Tuesday announced the dates to start trial of three major graft cases that hit the nation from the reign of President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Anadolu news agency reported.

The Criminal Court of Algiers announced April, 19 as the date to probe two cases involving senior government officials and foreign contractors.

The first case involves the construction of East- West Highway project which connects the 1200 km distance between the eastern and western parts of the country at a cost of $12 billion. The case involves 16 defendants from the country’s security services and senior officials in the public-works ministry accused of bribery and kickbacks.

The second case involves state-owned oil giant Sonatrach including the former Group CEO, Mohamed Meziane, his two sons and eight ex-executive directors of Sonatrach as well as seven officials. They are accused including of conspiracy, embezzlement, money laundering and corruption within procurement OTC with foreign companies; contrary to regulations.

In May 2011, Sonatrach CEO Mohamed Meziane received a two-year sentence in prison for misusing public funds.

Algerian state- run news agency APS, quoted a judicial source as saying that the criminal court in Blida south of the capital announced June, 2015 as the date to begin the third trial involving a businessman who founded a private bank and used it smuggle huge amounts of public money abroad.

In 2003, Abdul Momin Khalifa fled to Britain after investigators revealed that he established a private bank and lured local companies and citizens with high interest rates to deposit their funds at the bank. Khalifa has reportedly stolen the deposited money and transferred it abroad, using a private airline company that he established for this reason.

The Algerian treasury suffered nearly $5 billion in losses in Khalifa’s scam, which led to Blida Criminal Court sentencing him to imprisonment in absentia.

The Algerian judiciary extradite Khalifa in 2013 and decided to re- try him.

The three cases are known as the three major corruption cases in the country during the reign of current President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

The Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index for 2012 which ranks countries according to the extent of corruption in the public sector, ranked Algeria 105th out of 176 countries, and 12th out of 17 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

The organization said that although Algerian authorities acknowledge corruption has become a norm in state institutions, they are doing little to change the situation.