Algeria: trial postponed of Bouteflika era union official on corruption charges 

The Court of Algiers has postponed the trial of a senior Bouteflika era union official on corruption charges. The trial of Abdelmadjid Sidi Said will, however, begin on 31 October.

According to a lawyer who spoke on condition of anonymity, the postponement was granted at the request of the defence team. The defendant is apparently in hospital having suffered from ill health for some time.

At the time of writing, the authorities had not issued any statement in this regard.

Said and two of his sons were detained in May on corruption charges relating to deals with the government fuel company Sonatrach and mobile phone operator Mobilis.

He is the former Secretary-General of the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA), the largest trade union in Algeria, and held the post between 1997 and 2019. The union has 2.3 million members across different sectors, including government departments and government-owned companies, as well as the private sector.

The former official was known as one of Bouteflika’s biggest supporters. He stepped down from the leadership of the UGTA in June 2019, after a popular uprising toppled Bouteflika’s regime in April the same year.

Algerian courts have issued prison sentences to many former officials of the Bouteflika regime on corruption charges, including the former prime ministers Ahmed Ouyahia and Abdelmalek Sellal, as well as ministers, governors and businessmen. The trials of other officials are ongoing.

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