An Imprisoned Businessman Withdrew DZD 100B From His Seized Funds
The icons of the “financial cartel” followed up with corruption files continue their desperate attempts to circumvent justice, by finding tricks that enable them to obtain their seized money withheld by the judicial authorities, with the complicity of bank executives and fake owners of handling companies, which is what the well-known businessman “Gh. Abdelhak” did.
The businessman “Gh. Abdelhak” will appear Thursday before the economic and financial penal pole, for the facts of obtaining projects related to “water projects” and the completion of dams worth billions of dinars through suspicious methods, with the surreptitious withdrawal of DZD 100 billion from his bank account seized by the investigation judge of the Fifth Chamber of the economic and financial pole, while he is in prison.
The case’s file includes huge scandals related to the suspicious management of water projects at the level of the National Agency for Dams and Transfers, as it will be considered by the fourth branch of the Economic and Financial Criminal Court in Sidi M’hamed, on Thursday, March 16, as the former Minister of Water Resources Baraki Arezki and his family and the businessman “Gh. Abdelhak” and about 80 defendants, including Trust Bank executives, economic dealers in the form of natural and legal persons, executives and members of the envelope opening committee of the National Agency for Dams and Transfers, will all appear before the criminal court.
Investigations, in this case, concluded that Arezki Baraki has an old friendship with a businessman called “Gh. Abdelhak” and that the latter, along with his brothers, obtains several projects, such as building dams, laying water transmission channels, completing a water pumping station, and so on. Especially during the period when the former minister, Arezki Baraki, assumed the position of Director General of the National Agency for Dams and Remittances, in exchange for obtaining financial benefits.
On the other hand, the well-known businessman “Gh. Abdelhak”, although he was in prison, disposed of the funds seized by the investigation judge of the Fifth Chamber of the Economic and Financial Criminal Pole, and managed to withdraw DZD 100 billion in collusion with the executives of the “Trust Bank” agency, who opened a new account for legal persons, based on paying off the debts of the owners of subcontracting companies. Later, it turned out that they are fake subcontractors. However, the Public Prosecution Office at the Economic and Financial Penal Pole noticed this illegal activity and thwarted the scheme of “defrauding” the judicial system, as they were arrested and placed in temporary detention pending what the trial will reveal.
The former Minister of Water Resources, Baraki Arezki, is facing heavy charges included in the Penal Code and the Anti-Corruption and Prevention Law, such as intentionally granting unjustified privileges to others when concluding deals and annexes in violation of the legislative and regulatory provisions in force, requesting and accepting undue benefits, receiving a fee and a benefit on the occasion of preparing or conducting negotiations to conclude deals, squandering public funds, illegal use of the property and public funds, conflict of interest, illegal enrichment and money laundering.
Businessman “Gh. Abdelhak” and his family are also being pursued on several charges, such as influencing agents, money laundering and illegal enrichment, in addition to disposing of funds seized by the judicial services.
