An Algerian court has sentenced former Labor Minister Tijani Hassan Haddam to seven years in prison for embezzling over $45 million while heading the National Social Security Fund between 2015 and 2019, local media in the area reports.
He ran Algeria’s social security fund for four years (2015 and 2019) and later served as labour minister up to 2020.
He also received a fine of 1 million dinars and must pay additional compensation to the public treasury.
The charges stem from a shady real estate purchase in Algiers that Haddam claimed was for the social security fund. The developer in the deal was handed the same seven-year sentence, while two ex-mayors involved got four years each.
Haddam, who briefly served as minister from April 2019 to January 2020, had been under judicial supervision since July 2023. Prosecutors initially pushed for a 10-year sentence for abuse of office and misuse of public funds. Haddam and others must now jointly repay 100 million dinars in damages.
