The Sidi Mohammed Court in the Algerian capital issued a ruling to imprison former Minister of Industry Ali Aoun for five years and a fine with immediate imprisonment, on charges of money laundering, wasting public funds and requesting undeserved benefits, in addition to convicting his son and a prominent businessman, in the context of files affecting officials from the era of the late President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Published on: 04/21/2026 - 04:34 Last updated: 04/21/2026 - 07:40
On Monday, an Algerian court imposed a five-year imprisonment sentence against former Minister of Industry Ali Aoun, as part of a corruption case, according to what local media reported.
According to the rulings issued by the Sidi Mohammed Court in the center of the Algerian capital, it was also decided to fine the former Minister of Industry and Pharmaceutical Production, who is 80 years old, one million dinars (about 6,500 euros), with an order to put him in prison directly from the session hall.
The local press, including Al-Shorouk newspaper, indicated that the prosecution had sought a 12-year prison sentence against Ali Aoun, on charges that include “money laundering and criminal proceeds, squandering public funds, requesting and accepting an undeserved advantage, and abusing his position” in accordance with the provisions of the Anti-Corruption Law.
The case mainly revolves around deals for the sale of ferrous and non-ferrous waste that were considered illegal and were said to have harmed the government company "Emetal", which is active in the field of metallurgical industries.
The rulings also included other individuals, as Mahdi Aoun, the son of the former minister, was sentenced to six years in prison, while businessman Abdel Nour Abdel Mawla, who is described as the main accused in the file, received a ten-year prison sentence.
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Algerian media reported that investigations revealed nepotistic practices and decisions that violated the legal framework regulating the management of public property, which reinforced the criminal nature of the facts under investigation.
Ali Aoun, who previously served as CEO of the largest government pharmaceutical industry group, “Sidal,” assumed the portfolio of the Ministry of Pharmaceutical Industry in September 2022, before becoming Minister of Industry and Pharmaceutical Production in March 2023, until he was dismissed from his position on November 18, 2024.
In the same context, the trial ended in the acquittal of Charafeddine Amara, the former president of the Algerian Football Federation and head of the government tobacco group “Madar,” while these cases fall within a broad anti-corruption campaign launched by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune since his election in December 2019 and re-election in September 2024, targeting a number of ministers and officials from the era of the late President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
France 24/AFP
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