Businesswoman, daughters jailed
Publish date: 19 October 2020
Issue Number: 895
Diary: IBA Legalbrief Africa
Category: Algeria
A businesswoman who many believed was the secret daughter of former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was last week sentenced to 12 years in prison for money laundering, influence peddling, squandering public funds and illegally transferring money abroad. BBC News reports that Nachinachi Zoulikha denied she ever claimed to be Bouteflika's daughter and talked in court about the special relationship her father had with the former President. However, local newspapers reported that she admitted receiving special treatment for her investments thanks to the relationship she had with the former President. When she was arrested in 2019, investigators seized millions of dollars, jewellery and false travel documents. Her two daughters were also jailed for five years each.
