Algeria: heavy cases in court waiting for “political decisions”
Many corruption-related cases are still suspended in courts although investigations were completed. It is an attempt to conceal those cases until they lose their effect in public opinion, according to jurists.
Lawyer Miloud Brahimi believes that the Khalifa case which goes back to 2007 is still unscheduled due to its sensitivity. Many political and national personalities were involved in the case.
He said there is no legal text which regulates case scheduling or introduction to justice. The case of Colonel Ali Tounsi’s assassination is in the same situation. Chaib Oueltache is accused of killing Algeria’s National Police Chief in 2010. The case was introduced to a criminal court in Algiers but was not scheduled.
Lawyer Farid Adli told Echorouk the Attorney General has the prerogative to schedule criminal cases at any session according to the case type and sensitivity. That can be applied to the Khalifa case which still raises many questions.
According to lawyer Ibrahim Yesbaa, the fact that corruption-related cases are not scheduled is against the law and an attempt to camouflage public opinion temporarily until the cases lose their effect in society.
The East-Wast Motorway and Sonatrach cases reached the High Court after suspects had made an appeal but they remained unscheduled.