The businessman Issad Rebrab, considered as the first fortune of Algeria, was arrested for "false declaration concerning the movement of capital", announced Monday the state television.

The Algerian gendarmerie on Monday arrested businessman Issad Rebrab, considered the first fortune of Algeria, for "false statement on the movement of capital," said state television. Issad Rebrab is the CEO of the leading private group in Algeria, Cevital, a conglomerate active in electronics, steel, household appliances and construction, which employs 12,000 people and has bought companies in France (household appliance group Fagor Brandt among others). ). According to state television, Isaad Rebrab "will be brought before the prosecutor of the court of Sidi Mhamed in Algiers immediately after the end of his hearing by the investigating judge".

"I presented myself again this morning to the gendarmerie brigade of Bab Jdid (in Algiers) We will continue the study of the case of our equipment held at the port of Algiers since June 2018", tweeted on his side Issad Rebrab earlier in the morning.

As part of the blockages of our #Evcon project, I presented myself again this morning to the Bab Jdid Gendarmerie Brigade. We will continue studying the case of our equipment held at the port of Algiers since June 2018. # Algeria # Cevital

- Issad Rebrab (@IssadRebrab) April 22, 2019Four businessmen arrested on Sunday

The arrest of the CEO of Cevital comes hours after Sunday, four brothers, all businessmen and members of the Kouninef family, at the head of an empire ranging from agribusiness to civil oil. They must be heard within the framework of a judicial information inter alia for "non-respect of the engagements contained in contracts concluded with the State, trading of influence to obtain undue advantages" before being presented to the parquet floor, according to this source.

Former Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia and current Finance Minister Mohamed Loukal were given a summons on Monday to be heard by the Algiers public prosecutor's office as part of an investigation into the "squandering of public money". otherwise revealed state television.

A challenge to the whole regime

Algeria has been the scene since February 22 of massive demonstrations triggered by the candidacy for a new mandate of Abdelaziz Bouteflika that have become a challenge to the entire regime. The army chief of staff, General Gaïd Salah, called on April 16 for justice to "accelerate the pace" in investigations opened for bribery against businessmen linked to the former presidential clan.

In early April, the former boss of Algerian bosses, Ali Haddad, rich businessman, also close to Abdelaziz Bouteflika, was imprisoned after being arrested on his way to Tunisia. In the aftermath of his arrest, the judiciary announced the opening of investigations into corruption and illicit transfers of capital. It had also banned a number of people from leaving Algeria, without giving names, but the press had revealed those of a dozen influential businessmen, all related to the entourage of the head of the State.