The Algiers court sentenced Former Algerian Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui to four years in prison on Sunday following his involvement in a corruption case.
The court also handed down the same sentence to the former Health Minister, Abdelmalek Boudiaf, for his involvement in a controversial deal regarding the construction of the Constantine airport terminal (East).
The court accused the two Algerian officials of inflating the financial allocation for the project, which was finally completed after 10 years, instead of the 48 months specified in the contract.
The two officials were governors of the city at the time, before being promoted to high-ranking positions in Bouteflika’s administration.
In June of last year, the court in Algiers sentenced Bedoui and Boudiaf to five years in prison and a fine of one million dinars.
Bedoui, who served as the head of the executive branch from March 2019 to December 2019, now joins former Prime Ministers Ahmed Ouyahia and Abdelmalek Sellal in serving multiple prison sentences for corruption and abuse of power.
The extensive investigations into corruption and nepotism–ignited after the resignation of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April, 2019 under pressure from supporters of the “Hirak” resistance movement–have led to a series of ongoing trials.
Several prominent figures and former political officials–as well as influential business leaders, high-ranking officials, and senior military officers–are currently being tried under this umbrella of scandalous activity, and face charges such as corruption and illicit enrichment.