After his 2014 re-election Bouteflika overtly favoured an oligarchic elite cultivated by presidential brother Saïd Bouteflika and his allies led by public enemies Ali Haddad and the four Kouninef brothers...
Politics continued during the lockdown including corruption trials in civilian and military courts of oligarchs and other members of the ancien régime including key allies of late military strongman Lt Gen Ahmed Gaïd Salah as well as such fallen luminaries of Bouteflika's rule as ex-premiers Ahmed Ouyahia and Abdelmalek Sellal and business moguls close to Saïd Bouteflika led by Ali Haddad...
A Supreme Court judge is investigating Sellal's alleged links to the imprisoned oligarchs Ali Haddad and the Kouninef brothers...
Several leading tycoons have been rounded up including Ali Haddad the Kouninef brothers Chamber of Commerce chairman Mohamed Laïd Benamor and Condor group's Abderrahmane Benhamadi (AC Vol 60 No 7 Protests flush out the old guard)...
Security Services Coordinator Major General Athmane 'Bachir' Tartag and the Bouteflika clan's most prominent business ally Ali Haddad have already departed the scene – literally in Haddad's case as he was arrested trying to cross the Tunisian border by car early on 31 March carrying a British passport and large sums of money local media reported...
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The group – which also includes former prime ministers Abdelmalek Sellal and Ahmed Ouhiaya employers' federation boss Ali Haddad and chief of staff General Ahmed Gaïd Salah – seriously underestimated the extent to which they have lost credibility particularly among young Algerians or the strength of the winds of change blowing through Algeria...
Sources say he still influences policy supported by younger brother Saïd Bouteflika who has run the presidential office while also protecting the family's business interests – supported by recently re-elected president of the employers' organisation (Forum des Chefs d'Entreprise) Ali Haddad – and cultivating a network of political and security allies...
Construction magnate Ali Haddad a business friend of Saïd Bouteflika's is likely to remain head of the flagship of Algerian crony capitalism the Forum des Chefs d'Entreprise (FCE) despite claims this summer that even his head might roll as the El Bouchi cocaine smuggling scandal highlighted wider abuses of governance (AC Vol 59 No 14 Dead in the water)...
His close allies led by wealthy Forum des chefs d'entreprise (FCE) head Ali Haddad will require assurances of protection in a post-Boutef world...
Their loyalty – so far – has allowed the 'presidential clan' to maintain its dominance giving huge influence to the President's brother Saïd Bouteflika and his close allies such as Ali Haddad (AC Vol 58 No 17 The state stays captured)...
