ALGIERS- The Algiers Court of Appeal delivered, on Sunday, the verdict of the former director general of the Sahel state residence, Hamid Melzi, sentencing him to 42 months in prison.
To this end, Melzi was prosecuted, in this case, for charges related to money laundering, transfer of property obtained from criminality, abuse of office for the acquisition of undue privileges, incitement of public officials to exploit their influence and concluding contracts in violation of the laws and regulations in force. At first instance, he was sentenced to 5 years’ imprisonment.
Algiers Court of Appeal upheld the verdicts rendered, in first instance, by the tribunal of Sidi-M’hamed against the former Prime Ministers, Ahmed Ouyahia and Abdelmalek Sellal (respectively 6 and 5 years of imprisonment), the three sons of Melzi (2 years in prison), the former director general of Air Algerie, Bekhouche Allache (two years imprisonment), the former CEO of Algeria Telecom, Ahmed Choudar (one year in prison). The companies of the Melzi are ordered to pay 100 million dinars to the public treasury for financial loss. The charges against the former director of the official residence “El Mithak” have been dropped.
