Ex-Algeria premier jailed for 12 years for corruption

ALGIERS

An Algerian court on Wednesday sentenced former Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia to 12 years in prison for corruption.

The court also slapped former Industry Minister Abdeslam Bouchouareb with a 20-year jail term and confiscated all his property bank assets.

Bouchouareb, who is outside Algeria, was also ordered to pay a fine of two million dinars ($16,000) with an arrest warrant issued for him.

Former Energy Minister Youcef Yousfi was also sentenced to three years in prison and fined one million dinars ($8,000) in the same case. Businessman Mourad Oulmi was also jailed for 10 years.

All the charges were connected to corruption, money laundering and abuse of power.

Last year, a court jailed Ouyahia, who served four times as prime minister under former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, for 15 years and former Premier Abdelmalek Sellal, who served twice, to 12 years in another corruption case.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara

ALGIERS

An Algerian court on Wednesday sentenced former Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia to 12 years in prison for corruption.

The court also slapped former Industry Minister Abdeslam Bouchouareb with a 20-year jail term and confiscated all his property bank assets.

Bouchouareb, who is outside Algeria, was also ordered to pay a fine of two million dinars ($16,000) with an arrest warrant issued for him.

Former Energy Minister Youcef Yousfi was also sentenced to three years in prison and fined one million dinars ($8,000) in the same case. Businessman Mourad Oulmi was also jailed for 10 years.

All the charges were connected to corruption, money laundering and abuse of power.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara