Tahkout Family Case to Return Before Algiers Court of Appeal on July 22

The Algiers Court of Appeal has decided to reopen the case concerning the obstruction of judicial investigations, concealment of seized assets, and unlawful disposal of confiscated property, in which members of the imprisoned businessman Tahkout’s family are facing prosecution. The case is scheduled to be heard on July 22.

The defendants will appear before the First Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeal after the Supreme Court accepted the appeals in cassation and referred the case back to the same judicial body. According to Echorouk sources, the Supreme Court’s ruling outlined several grounds for accepting the appeals and ordering a retrial before the Algiers Court of Appeal.

The prosecution’s appeal was upheld on the basis of insufficient reasoning in the judgments handed down against several defendants, who received prison sentences of less than 10 years despite facing charges related to participation in a criminal organization. The Supreme Court also accepted appeals filed by a number of defendants, citing deficiencies in the lower court’s reasoning. It found that the judges had failed to adequately justify their decisions by providing sufficient legal grounds and supporting arguments, making the appeals well-founded and warranting substantive review.

Previously, the Criminal Chamber of the Algiers Court of Appeal handed down sentences ranging from acquittal to eight years’ imprisonment against members of the Tahkout family and their co-defendants. Rachid, Ibrahim, and Hamid Tahkout were each sentenced to eight years in prison.

The same court sentenced Bilal Tahkout to five years’ imprisonment, Ali Tahkout to four years, and Youcef Tahkout to three years. Meanwhile, Nacer Tahkout and nine other defendants were acquitted. Sentences imposed on the remaining defendants—including employees of the Rouïba municipality—ranged from 18 months to three, four and five years in prison, while some others were acquitted.

The court also ordered the confiscation of all seized assets, real estate, and bank accounts listed in the seizure reports issued by the investigating judge.

The rulings followed the prosecution of members of the Tahkout family on a series of serious charges under Algeria’s Anti-Corruption Law (Law No. 01-06). The charges include money laundering through the concealment of assets and proceeds derived from corruption-related offenses, obstructing the proper administration of justice by providing false testimony in corruption cases and hindering ongoing investigations, as well as attempting to influence and exert pressure on court-appointed judicial administrators.

Following the defendants’ appearance before the court in January, the presiding judge of the Tenth Criminal Chamber ordered a supplementary investigation. An expert was appointed to examine records held by the Mostaganem Customs Directorate, western Algeria, in order to obtain the original registration files for the vehicles involved and determine whether the seized assets had been disposed of before or after the judicial seizure order was issued.