Bouteflika-era tycoon jailed for six months

Algiers - A key backer of Algeria’s former leader Abdul Aziz Bouteflika and one of the country’s top businessmen, Ali Haddad, was jailed for six months Monday for holding two passports, state television reported.

Haddad was arrested in late March on the border with Tunisia, in possession of two passports and undeclared currency, days before Bouteflika resigned in the face of mass protests.

He is also one of many Algerian businessmen and former politicians caught up in an anti-corruption investigation launched since the president stepped down.