Achour Abderrahmane sentenced to 18 years in prison for misappropriation of 21 Billion Dinars

Prisoners at the baccalaureate exams

ALGIERS- Algiers criminal court sentenced Sunday four people to eighteen years imprisonment for misappropriation of 21 billion dinars.

Algiers criminal court sentenced Sunday four people to eighteen years imprisonment in each in the case related to misappropriation of 21 billion dinars (2100 billion centimes) from the National Bank of Algeria (BNA).

    Achour Abderrahmane, a trader in Kolea near Algiers and main defendant in this case, sentenced to 18 years imprisonment with seizure of his property, was prosecuted for “criminal association, complicity in misappropriation of public funds, fraud and issuing checks without provisions”.

    Ainouche Rabah, main Associate of Achour in fictitious companies, Merarbi Hassiba and Setouf Baghdad, employees in Achour’s companies have the same penalty.

    Algiers court also sentenced sixteen people, including executives from (BNA) to sentences ranging from 14 years in prison and one year prison with suspension.

    Mourad Chikhi, former CEO of the BNA, Abed Abdelmadjid, external auditor, Bougourt Larbi, expert and auditor, Kerkebene Mohamed, auditor, and Chafi Salah, auditor, have, been cleared.

    The case began in 2005 after an anonymous denunciation. The defendants have denied the facts during the trial which lasted 11 days.

    Abderrahmane Achour and two accomplices fled their country in 2005 to Morocco after the outbreak of the scandal in October 2005, before being extradited to Algeria.
    
    
Ennaharonline/ M. O.