Algiers – The former boss of an Algerian state firm that runs a luxury residence for government officials and who was jailed for graft saw his sentence reduced on Sunday, his lawyer said.
Hamid Melzi, who also ran a publicly owned company that manages several luxury hotels, had been sentenced to five years in prison in September.
He had faced trial on charges including money laundering and abuse of position.
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An appeals court on Sunday reduced his sentence to “three and a half years” behind bars, his lawyer Miloud Brahimi told AFP, adding that he would appeal further to a higher court.
Melzi had been sacked in April 2019, days after veteran president Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned under pressure from the army following weeks of protests against his bid for a fifth term in office.
After Bouteflika’s fall, prosecutors launched a series of probes into businessmen who had been close to the president, resulting in several being sentenced to prison time for graft.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Getty Images
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