Canadian lawyer, Patrice Martin Brini, owner of imaginary Bureau of Immigration to Canada in Algiers, gets five years in prison in absentia along with his manager K.Brahim for swindling as well as a fine of 100.000 dinars and an international warrant for their arrest. The court also compelled them to pay compensation of 100.000 dianrs to each of their six victims. The provision comes after a representative of the public attorney sentenced them to 5 years in prison for swindling.

• The case attracted the public opinion’s attention since more than six years, and classified it as one of the most dangerous cases of swindling and fraud, particularly since the Canadian lawyer do not have legal licence by the Algerian Lawyers’ Association which did not attend the hearing and was absent as a civil part in the case despite the fact that the Canadian lawyer violated the legal rule, in addition to that, he used his Canadian citizenship, a symbol of Canada, in order to swindle the Algerians through claiming that he is certified by the Canadian embassy and working illegally through advertisements in the national newspapers.
•  Echorouk met the victims, who filed a lawsuit against the Canadian lawyer and his manager just after the hearing on Monday; they expressed their joy because Algerian justice took a final decision after they waited 6 years, saying “We will continue the lawsuit against the Canadian lawyer in the Canadian justice and we’ll take all the necessary actions to get our lost rights, it is a matter of principles”.
• The case, as stated in court, goes back to 2001 when the Canadian lawyer Patrice Brunei opened an office for immigration and legal advisory in the street of Didouche Mourad in upper Algiers by declaring  his provisions of service on the pages of the national newspapers.
• In 2005, several deluded people lodged legal complains against him but he secretely travelled back to Canada. The case was reopened another time and he was transferred with his manager to justice. The two men were sentenced in absentia on charges of cheating and fraud.