Temmar’s Money-Laundering Case Goes to Appeal on August 12

The Algiers Court of Appeal is set to examine the case of former Housing Minister Abdelwahid Temmar on Wednesday, August 12, in a new case involving money laundering and the laundering of criminal proceeds.

The former housing minister is expected to appear before the First Criminal Chamber of the Algiers Court of Appeal to answer to the aforementioned charges, relating to money laundering, abuse of influence, and the exploitation of professional facilities in connection with suspicious activities.

On June 15, the Economic and Financial Criminal Division Court in Sidi M’Hamed handed Temmar the maximum sentence requested in the case: seven years in prison and a fine of one million Algerian dinars, in addition to the confiscation of all seized assets.

The presiding judge also ordered the former minister to pay a further 200,000 Algerian dinars to the public treasury in compensation for damages.
Temmar was prosecuted before the Economic and Financial Criminal Division on charges of habitual money laundering and exploiting the facilities afforded by his professional activities in the commission of a criminal act. These offenses are punishable under Article 389 bis 2 of the Algerian Penal Code and Article 42 of Law 01-06 on the prevention of and fight against corruption.

The former housing minister, however, denied all charges against him. He stressed that he had never drawn up any power of attorney, describing the document in question as merely a “draft,” and said he had never met the notary involved.

He also maintained that neither he nor any member of his family owns property, real estate, or bank accounts abroad. In support of his claim, he referred to judicial requests for assistance sent to Spain, whose responses reportedly found no evidence of such assets.

Temmar ultimately argued that the charges against him were based on unfounded conclusions and assumptions, alleging that the case was aimed at keeping him behind bars for a longer period.