Algerian Radio
The French Minister of Justice, Mr. Gérald Darmanin, confirmed yesterday, Monday, in Algiers, that his visit to Algeria aims to improve judicial cooperation between the two countries, particularly in sensitive cases related to "ill-gotten assets."
In a statement following the reception granted to him by the President of the Republic of Algeria, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Mr. Darmanin explained that his visit aims to "improve cooperation in the judicial field and the penitentiary sector between the two countries."
He noted that since Sunrday evening he has held "several meetings with his Algerian counterpart (Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals, Mr. Lotfi Boudjemaa), accompanied by the French Ambassador to Algeria and a number of senior judges, notably the Director of Criminal Affairs and Pardons, the National Financial Prosecutor, and the National Prosecutor in charge of combating organized crime."
He added: "We discussed many files at length," including cases of "ill-gotten assets," noting that "the Algerian authorities have submitted nearly a hundred requests to recover assets resulting, unfortunately, from corruption," and this is being done "in cooperation with the French judiciary."
He also indicated that the Algerian judicial authorities are invited to Paris soon to deepen discussions on these files, enabling the French judiciary to "process the seizures and confiscations related to former Algerian officials."
When addressing the growth of organized crime and drug trafficking networks, the French minister emphasized that both countries "share the difficulty of combating the drug and psychotropic substance mafia."
He added: "We also share work in the field of judicial intelligence" within the framework of cooperation aimed at combating certain networks involved in cocaine trafficking.
He continued, saying: "We exchanged, without going into details, very valuable information and requested a certain number of extraditions, just as Algeria has requested the extradition of individuals from France."
The minister explained that the third axis of cooperation concerns the areas of penitentiary institutions and civil justice, allowing "many families on both sides of the Mediterranean to live in the best possible conditions," while "paying special attention to the protection of their children."
On another note, the minister indicated that he had addressed "several individual cases, including that of Christophe Gleizes, at the request of President Emmanuel Macron."
The French minister also thanked the President of the Republic of Algeria, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, for the "lengthy discussions" they shared, emphasizing the need to continue working to "restore trust between the two countries, which hold mutual respect for one another."
Finally, he confirmed that he had extended an invitation to his Algerian counterpart to visit France, following the upcoming visit of the Algerian Minister of the Interior.
