Algeria adjourns trial of businessman Ali Haddad

An Algerian court adjourned until 3 June the trial of Ali Haddad, a businessman who had close ties with ousted president Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Haddad is charged with forging documents and providing false information.

On 3 April, the same court ordered that Haddad be held in pretrial detention.

The business tycoon was arrested in March in the bordering city of Umm Toul when he was trying to flee the country to Tunisia; and he is currently held in the Taref province.

At the time of his arrest, Haddad had two passports, two driving licenses, and a sum of foreign money.

In the week of his arrest, Algerian authorities seized the passports of a dozen businessmen who werebeing investigataed over corruption allegations.

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