Former Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal back on trial in Algeria

Text by: RFI Follow

In Algeria, the appeal trial of the former prime ministers of Abdelaziz Bouteflika continued this Sunday in the capital. Ahmed Ouyahia, Abdelmalek Sellal and other senior officials and businessmen are being prosecuted for corruption in what is now known as the auto assembly case. This Sunday, Abdelmalek Sellal was at the helm. And he blamed all responsibility on former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

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with our correspondent in Algiers, Leïla Beratto

“ The first responsible is Bouteflika. It is he who must be brought as a witness . ” This is what Abdelmalek Sellal , former Prime Minister and close to the former Algerian president, said during the hearing in Algiers court this Sunday.

Accused of having awarded contracts by breaking the law, he repeated that he had no authority and that he respected the policy of Abdelaziz Bouteflika. At the time, he explains at the helm, it was Saïd Bouteflika , the president's brother who followed the details of the implementation of this policy.

When the judge asked him why he did not oppose this system, Abdelmalek Sellal replied: a manager who wanted to put an end to the overtaking was dismissed and his son imprisoned. A clear reference to Abdelmadjid Tebboune , the current Algerian president, who had been removed from his post as Prime Minister in 2017 and whose son, Khaled Tebboune , accused of influence peddling, was acquitted this week.

In December, at first instance, Abdelmalek Sellal was sentenced to twelve years in prison. The trial is scheduled to continue on Monday.

► Read also : Algeria: the first trial for corruption of former leaders opens in Algiers

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