Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has taken the decision to dismiss the Director General of Algerian National Security, Farid Zinedine Ben Sheikh. Reports suggest that the dismissal is linked to accusations against Algerian security officers and members, alleging their involvement in allowing a young Algerian man to clandestinely board an airplane’s landing gear in an attempt to emigrate illegally.
The incident, which took place at Orly Airport in France on December 28, involved the young man hiding in the wheel room of an Air Algerie plane that had departed from Ahmed Ben Bella Airport in Oran. Despite strict airport security measures, the individual managed to board the plane.
Following the incident, President Tebboune ordered an investigation by the Director General of Internal Security into the matter, promising specific administrative measures against officials from the General Directorate of National Security. In response to the controversy, Ali Badawi has been appointed as the new Director of National Security, replacing the dismissed Ben Sheikh.
Additionally, the Oran State Judicial Council has issued orders for the temporary detention of 10 individuals, including police officers from Oran Airport, awaiting trial on charges related to the incident. The charges include actions that unintentionally endanger the lives of those on board the plane, posing a direct threat to their safety, and committing acts that jeopardize the plane’s security.
