This archive report was first published on 5 July 2019.
Published on July 5, 2019, Algerian state television reported that former police chief Abdelghani Hamel has been placed in provisional detention over alleged diversion of funds and illicit enrichment.
Mr. Hamel, who was fired in June 2018, appeared before an investigating magistrate in central Algiers, according to state television.
Two of his sons were also detained overnight, while his wife was provisionally released in the same case, state television reported.
As part of the ongoing corruption probe, the examining magistrate will question 19 people, including ex-civil servants and real estate agents, according to the official APS news agency.
Mr. Hamel's firing in 2018 came as a surprise, as he had been viewed as a potential successor to former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Mr. Hamel was fired due to a cocaine trafficking scandal, which tarnished numerous officials, including magistrates.
Former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika was forced to step down on April 2, after weeks of street protests against his two-decade rule.
Protests have continued, demanding the fall of other regime insiders and the establishment of independent institutions ahead of credible elections.
