Algeria's ex-police chief detained in corruption probe: state TV
Algeria's former police chief Abdelghani Hamel. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
- Abdelghani Hamel who was fired in June 2018, appeared before an investigating magistrate in central Algiers.
- Two of his sons were also detained overnight, while his wife was provisionally released in the same case, state television reported.
- Former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika's decision to fire Mr Hamel came as a surprise, since he had been viewed at the time by analysts and the Algerian press as a potential successor.
ALGIERS,
Algeria's former police chief Abdelghani Hamel has been placed in provisional detention over alleged "diversion of funds and illicit enrichment", state television said Friday.
Mr Hamel, who was fired in June 2018, appeared before an investigating magistrate in central Algiers, it said.
Two of his sons were also detained overnight, while his wife was provisionally released in the same case, state television reported.
In total, the examining magistrate will question 19 people in the case, including ex-civil servants and real estate agents, according to the official APS news agency.
SURPRISE CALL
Former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika's decision to fire Mr Hamel came as a surprise, since he had been viewed at the time by analysts and the Algerian press as a potential successor.
Mr Hamel was fired due to a cocaine trafficking scandal, which tarnished numerous officials including magistrates.
The ailing Mr Bouteflika was himself forced to step down on April 2, after weeks of street protests against his two-decade rule.
But protests have continued, demanding the fall of other regime insiders and the establishment of independent institutions ahead of credible elections.
Algeria's legal system has launched a series of probes into corruption and embezzlement, targeting state officials and powerful businessmen close to the ex-president.
