Algeria: Major General Arar joins his many comrades in military prison
More than fifty Algerian army generals are languishing in prison for illicit enrichment, embezzlement of public funds and corruption. Among the 50 or so are three former heads of the national gendarmerie. Major General Ghani Belleksir, on the run in Europe since July 2019. In 2021, he obtained Vanuatu citizenship for himself and his wife, thereby invalidating the international arrest warrant issued against him by the military court that sentenced him to 20 years' imprisonment in absentia. General Belleksir owns a large fortune and numerous properties in Europe, including a luxury flat in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, valued at 2 million euros.
His predecessor, Major General Mohamed Nouba, who succeeded Major General Ahmed Boustila in September 2015 and was relieved of his duties in July 2018, was sentenced on 30 October 2019 to 15 years in prison and confiscation of all his assets. This sentence was upheld on appeal on 16 June 2021.
Abderrahmane Arar, who succeeded General Ghali Belleksir, was promoted to the rank of Major General in July 2019, when he was Chief of Staff of the Gendarmerie. He was admitted to retirement in August 2021, two years after his promotion to head this security force under the Ministry of National Defence. Unlike many other generals who are arrested and imprisoned, and immediately retired, General Abderrahmane Arar is only called to court two years later, after being heard as a witness in a case. Earlier this month, he was questioned at length before being placed under arrest for "violation of military orders" and "breach of trust". He is accused, in particular, of having acquired numerous properties in different regions of the country, notably in Algiers, Tipaza, Ghardaïa and Oran. These properties have been seized and confiscated by the courts.
It should be recalled that General Abdelghani Hamel, former head of the Algerian police from 2010 to 2018, also belongs to the gendarmerie before being assigned to the Republican Guard from 2008 to 2010 and head of the General Directorate of National Security from 2010 to 2018. He is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence. It was on 4 July 2019 that Major General Abdelghani Hamel was arrested and placed under warrant in the El-Harrach civilian prison with two of his sons for "illegal activities, influence peddling, misappropriation of land and abuse of functions". His sons Amiar, Chafik, Mourad and Chahinaz were sentenced respectively to ten years, eight years, seven years and three years in prison, in addition to fines. These sentences were reduced on appeal to 8 years, 6 years, 5 years and 1 year (and 1 year suspended). His wife, Annani Salima, was sentenced to two years in prison. Abdelghani Hamel's family companies were sentenced to a heavy fine and "confiscation of all their movable and immovable property". Major General Abdelghani Hamel was the subject of a veritable settling of scores and judicial harassment by the late Lieutenant General, former Chief of Staff of the Algerian army and Deputy Minister of National Defence under the government of Abdelaziz Bouteflika, following a statement in which he alluded to the former army strongman's involvement in the case of the 7 quintals of cocaine seized in the port of Oran in May 2018 and in cases of corruption.
All these convictions of former Algerian security service chiefs only confirm the existence of an underworld in a country bled dry by corruption, abuse of office, embezzlement of public funds, trafficking of all kinds (foreign currency, cocaine, drugs, influence, etc.).