A woman who was believed for years to be the secret daughter of former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has gone on trial for corruption and money laundering.
Businesswoman Nachinachi Zoulikha-Chafika, who goes by the name of Mme Maya, is accused of earning a fortune from lucrative public deals partly by allegedly using her supposed relationship with the long-time president.
She was allegedly helped by governors, cabinet ministers and other top officials, some of whom are on trial together with her.
Local newspapers say that in reality her late father was a war friend of Mr Bouteflika and she used that relationship to get in touch with the president soon after he was elected and asked him to help her get permission to build a theme park.
Years later, and many deals later, the rumours came to a head when she allegedly asked the governor of the city of Oran for help with setting up a new supermarket.
He was friends with Mr Bouteflika’s brother Said and referred to Ms Zoulikha-Chafika as Said’s niece.
Said denied the relationship and opened an investigation.
When she was arrested in 2019 investigators seized cash worth nearly a million euro in Algerian currency, 270,000 euros and $30,000, as well as 17kg of jewellery in addition to various false travel documents – all hidden in the walls of the well secured residence.
Ms Zoulikha-Chafika denies any wrongdoing and instead says Said set her up and hated her relationship with his brother.
The former president was forced to resign following mass protests in April 2019 and lives in a medical residence west of Algiers in the care of his sister Fatma-Zohra.
Source: BBC
