Former Minister Hamid Temmar tried in absentia for corruption

Former Algerian Minister of Participations and Investment Promotion, Abdelhamid Temmar, is facing trial in absentia on serious corruption charges. An international arrest warrant has been issued for Temmar, who is accused in connection with the privatization of the Tiaret Mills, part of the Eriad group. The case involves the sale of assets for a symbolic sum to the Ikhlas company.

The trial opened on May 5 at the economic and financial penal court in Sidi M’hamed. Sources indicate that the former minister faces grave charges, including "privatization operations that resulted in the transfer of real estate and industrial assets at values deemed far below their actual estimation" and "irregularities in the evaluation and validation procedures of the transferred assets."

Temmar has been a fugitive abroad since 2018 and will be tried in default. Several other high-ranking public officials implicated in the case will also face the court. The accusations against the defendants are severe, particularly against Temmar, who is charged with "abuse of function in violation of laws and regulations," "granting undue advantages to third parties in the context of privatization," and "embezzlement of public funds."

Other co-accused individuals are being prosecuted for "receiving and complicity," "inciting public officials to abuse influence," "obtaining undue advantages through the intervention of state agents," "money laundering," and "concealing the illicit origin of criminal funds within an organized criminal group." The Algerian justice system is pursuing the extradition of former high-ranking officials like Temmar and Bouchouareb, as well as Ghali Beleksir, former head of the National Gendarmerie, from France, to recover illicit assets transferred abroad.