The Bir Mourad Rais Court has sentenced the former mayor of Algiers-Centre, Abdelhakim Bettache, to four years in prison for abuse of office related to a subsidized housing project stalled for 12 years. The real estate developer responsible for the project, Noureddine Amlak, received a seven-year prison sentence for fraud, having collected payments between 80 and 150 million centimes from subscribers. Approximately 1,000 victims have filed as civil parties in the case. Reports suggest the total number of individuals affected, including those promised units outside the formal plan, could reach 2,000. Many victims have rejected alternative housing options previously proposed by the administrative authorities.