The Algerian Court of Appeal has sentenced former Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui and former Health Minister Abdelmalek Boudiaf to four years in prison each for corruption-related charges, as reported by the Algerian Press Service (APS).
The court in Algiers announced on Sunday that both Bedoui and Boudiaf were found guilty of engaging in corrupt activities.
The APS detailed that the charges against the former officials included their involvement in a dubious deal concerning the construction of an air station in the Constantine province during their tenure as governors of the same province. They were also accused of misusing their positions and granting unjustified privileges.
The report further disclosed the ex-ministers’ involvement in inflating the funding for the air station project in Constantine, which was completed in 10 years instead of the planned 48 months.
Previously, in June, the Sidi M’Hamed court in Algiers had sentenced both Bedoui and Boudiaf to five years imprisonment and a financial penalty of one million Algerian dinars (approximately 7,400 US dollars).
Noureddine Bedoui served as the last Prime Minister during the presidency of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who resigned in April 2019.
Bedoui held the position until the presidential elections in December 2019, which resulted in the election of Abdelmadjid Tebboune as Algeria’s President.
Prior to his role as Prime Minister, Bedoui held various key positions, including Minister of the Interior, and Minister of Vocational Training and Education, in addition to serving as governor in several provinces.
