Failing to hold ex-regime politicians accountable and the granting of immunity and benefits to prominent businessmen who were jailed for corruption has taken Algeria’s political scene by storm over the last few days.
The latest case included motor tycoon Mahieddine Tahkout who was detained along with his son and two of his brothers on charges of corruption and money laundering.
Footage showing Tahkout and his relatives taken into custody went viral on social media and televised news broadcasts.
The decision to detain them came a day after they were questioned by an investigative judge, the official APS news agency said.
According to APS, Tahkout, who holds several foreign car dealerships, was accused of "undue privileges" pertaining to the assembly of cars under the rule of ousted President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who was forced to step down in April after weeks of protests.
Tahkout and some of his family members run the Tahkout Manufacturing Company (TMC) which assembles vehicles in Algeria for South Korean carmaker Hyundai.
Several prominent politicians and businessmen linked to Bouteflika have been detained or questioned in connection with corruption since the ailing president was forced to step down on April 3.
The judge who was assigned to Tahkout’s case was also briefed on ongoing investigations which involved former regime officials, yet no charges were pressed.
Ex-Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia and former governor of the capital Abdelkader Zoukh were spotted entering the courthouse on the same day Tahkout was brought in. Even though it wasn't clear why Ouyahia and Zoukh were present, many traced it back to their well-established relations and ties with the automobile mogul.
The Algerian judiciary has launched a series of investigations into corruption cases against powerful businessmen and senior government officials after Bouteflika’s departure from power following mass protests.
Journalist and human rights activist Hassan Bouras said that Tahkout shouldn’t be seen as an organized crime mastermind, but as a scapegoat used by the corruption-plagued former regime.
