An Algerian court has sentenced former labour minister Tijani Hassan Haddam to seven years in prison for embezzling nearly $45 million.
Haddam previously headed Algeria’s National Social Security Fund from 2015 to 2019 before serving as labour minister until 2020.
The case centred on property falsely declared as belonging to the social security fund, revealing a fraudulent scheme that drained public resources.
The property developer involved in the deal was also convicted, receiving an identical seven-year sentence for his role in the deception.
Two former mayors from the Algiers municipality where the property stood were each sentenced to four years behind bars.
Additionally, the former director of state property and another official received three-year prison terms, both found guilty of misuse of authority.
The charges included “exploiting one’s position, granting unjustified privileges, and squandering public funds,” according to reporting by the Algerian daily Echorouk.
Haddam once served under longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who resigned in 2019 amid sweeping pro-democracy protests that ended two decades of rule.
Since then, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has pursued an aggressive anti-corruption campaign, targeting high-ranking figures tied to Bouteflika’s turbulent administration.
Tebboune, first elected in December 2019 and re-elected in September 2024, has vowed to restore public trust through accountability and transparency.
The verdict against Haddam and his associates reflects Algeria’s broader reckoning with entrenched corruption that has long corroded state institutions and public confidence.
For many Algerians, the sentences mark both a symbolic and practical turning point, a signal that impunity may no longer prevail.
The court’s decision adds another chapter to Algeria’s slow but deliberate attempt to confront its past while reshaping governance for the future.