Algeria court refuses to release minister imprisoned on corruption charges

An Algerian court yesterday rejected a request to release former Minister Delegate in charge of Micro-enterprise, Nassim Diafat, who is the first minister under President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to be imprisoned in a corruption case, Anadolu news agency reported.

Local media outlets reported that the indictment chamber at the Court of Algiers rejected a request by Diafat’s lawyer to release him, confirming his remand in custody by the investigating judge

Diafat appeared before the judiciary, along with his wife, brother and a number of defendants in a corruption case linked to the Algerian company for the construction of metal equipment and infrastructure (ALRIM).

His family members were placed under judicial surveillance and were banned from travel.

Since 2019, the Algerian judiciary has waged a “war on corruption”, which led to the imprisonment of dozens of ministers and officials from the era of the late President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

READ: Spain rejects appeal of 2 Algerians jailed for human trafficking