Algeria former mines minister gets five-year jail term for corruption

Algeria former mines minister gets five-year jail term for corruption
Former Minister of Industry and Mines Djamila Tamazirt was found guilty of abusing her position of power while she was director of a state-owned agri-food company.
1 min read
18 February, 2022
Djamila Tamazirt is the latest Algerian minister to be charged with corruption [Getty]

An Algerian court sentenced a minister who served under former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to five years in prison on Thursday, according to the Algerian Press Service.

Djamila Tamazirt, who was the minister of industry and mines, was sentenced at Sidi M’hamed court in the capital Algiers on charges of corruption.

The court convicted the former minister of "false declaration of financial assets", "exploitation of position in order to obtain privileges" and "granting undue advantages to third parties when concluding deals" while she was the director of a state-owned agri-food group Eriad between 2009 and 2015.

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Tamazirt served under then Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui’s cabinet from 1 April 2019 - one day before former President Bouteflika’s resignation - until current President Abdelmadjid Tebboune took office in January 2020.

The court also handed Tamazirt’s brother-in-law and husband a two-year prison sentence each.

Earlier this week, former energy minister Chakib Khelil was sentenced in absentia to 20 years in prison on corruption charges.