Advertisement
Algeria’s army chief hails judiciary for anti-graft move
Algeria's President and head of the Armed Forces Abdelaziz Bouteflika (L) gestures while talking with Army Chief of Staff General Ahmed Gaid Salah during a graduation ceremony of the 40th class of the trainee army officers at a Military Academy in Cherchell 90 km west of Algiers, June 27, 2012. PHOTO BY REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina
23/04/2019
ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algeria's army chief said on Monday he welcomed an anti-graft drive against figures close to former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, state TV reported, a day after the authorities announced the arrest of five business tycoons.
Bouteflika quit on April 2 after mass protests against his two-decade rule, in which protesters accused him of allowing widespread corruption in the Algerian political elite.
Army Chief Ahmed Gaid Salah played a role in Bouteflika's resignation by calling for him to be removed from office, and has since called for a crackdown on corruption.
On Monday state television reported the arrest of billionaire Issad Rebrab, chairman of the family-owned Cevital diversified conglomerate with big interests in sugar refining, ranked by Forbes as Algeria's richest man. Four brothers from the wealthy Kouninef family were also arrested.
(Reporting by Lamine Chikhi and Hamid Ould Ahmed; Editing by Peter Graff)
Add new comment