Justice confirmed yesterday the prison terms against two former prime ministers, Ahmed Ouyahia and Abdelmalek Sellal, prosecuted in the case of car assembly and hidden financing of the electoral campaign of the former President of the Republic .
The court of Sidi M’Hamed near the court of Algiers ruled yesterday on the prison sentences previously imposed on several former ministers including Prime Ministers Ahmed Ouyahia and Abdelmalek Sellal, as well as other officials and businessmen.
Thus, the sentences of 15 years and 12 years in prison previously pronounced against respectively Ahmed Ouyahia and Abdelmalek Sellal, were confirmed by the court of Sidi M’Hamed.
In addition, businessman Ali Haddad was sentenced in the same case to 4 years in prison. The Sidi M’Hamed court also confirmed the acquittal of former Minister of Transport and Public Works Abdelghani Zaâlane.
Also involved in this case, the two former industry ministers, Mahjoub Bedda and Youcef Yousfi, were sentenced to 5 years in prison, while the businessman, Mohamed Bairi, to 3 years prison prison. The businessman, Tir Amine, was also sentenced to 3 years in prison. Finally, the businessman, Ahmed Mazouz, was sentenced to 4 years in prison.
It should be recalled that this trial has been postponed several times. On February 26, the courts, a few minutes after it opened, had decided to postpone it for the current March 1.
The trial was postponed for a second within a few days. On February 12, the Algiers Court decided to postpone it for February 26 and then adjourned it a second time until March 1.
Thus, the sentences of 15 years and 12 years in prison previously pronounced against respectively Ahmed Ouyahia and Abdelmalek Sellal, were confirmed by the court of Sidi M’Hamed.
The appeal trial has been scheduled following a request by the prosecution and the defense collective against the verdict pronounced on December 10, 2019 by the Sidi M’hamed court.
Recall that at the end of the trial of December 10 of the past year, the former Prime Ministers including Ahmed Ouyahia was sentenced to 15 years in prison with a fine of two (2) million DA , with confiscation of all his property, and Abdelmalek Sellal, to a sentence of 12 years in prison, together with a fine of one (1) million DA. Also involved in this case, the former ministers of industry and mines, including Abdessalem Bouchouareb, who received a 20-year prison sentence in absentia, together with a fine and the issuance of an international arrest warrant. against Youcef Yousfi of 10 years ‘imprisonment, and Mahdjoub Bedda of 10 years’ imprisonment.
In addition, the former minister and wali, Nouria Yamina Zerhouni, to a sentence of 5 years in prison, businessmen Ahmed Mazouz to a sentence of 7 years in prison with confiscation of the seized funds, Hassan Larbaoui at a sentence of 6 years in prison with confiscation of seized funds, and Mohamed Bairi to a sentence of 3 years in prison. The son of former Prime Minister Fares Sellal was sentenced to 3 years in prison.
Source OuestTribuneDZ / Par Samir Hamiche
