Presidential Elections: Public Prosecutor Seeks Temporary Detention Against Three Candidates
Algiers- The Public Prosecution Office at the National Economic and Financial Criminal Court in Sidi M’hamed appealed, before the indictment chamber of the Algerian Judicial Council, the decision to place the candidates for the September 2024 presidential elections under judicial supervision, and demanded that the defendants be placed in temporary detention, following the opening request that it submitted during the launch of the investigation.
In detail, Ecorouk sources revealed that the Public Prosecutor at the Economic and Financial Pole, following the Code of Criminal Procedure, appealed on Sunday, August 5th, the orders of the investigating judge in the third chamber of the same judicial authority ordering the placement of three candidates for the presidential elections scheduled to be held on September 7th. 2024, “Belkacem S.”, Abdelhakim. H” and “Saida. N” under judicial supervision, and asked the indictment chamber to place the defendants in temporary detention pending the completion of the investigation and referring everyone to trial.
According to Echorouk sources, the indictment chamber will decide on the case within a maximum period of 15 days and will issue an order requiring either to uphold the decision of the investigating judge of the third chamber at the Economic and Financial Criminal Pole or to accept the Public Prosecution’s appeal to the same judicial authority.
On Saturday night, August 4, the investigating judge in the third chamber of the Economic and Financial Criminal Court in Sidi M’hamed, Algiers, ordered the detention of “Belkacem.S”, “Abdelhakim. H” and “Saida. N” under judicial supervision in the case of buying the signatures of elected officials in exchange for obtaining recommendation to run for the presidential elections. It also ordered the temporary detention of 68 defendants in the case of “buying the signatures of elected” which was revealed following the process of collecting candidacy forms for the presidential elections of September 7.
The defendants were charged with heavy misdemeanours related to: “granting an undeserved advantage, exploiting influence, offering cash donations or promising to give them to obtain or attempt to obtain votes, misuse of office, receiving cash gifts or promises to grant electoral votes, and fraud,” pending for what the indictment chamber of the Algeriers Judicial Council will decide in the current case.
