algerianow

Four jailed in Algiers case of subsidized cooking oil diverted to a crisps maker

9 November 2026 · Algeria Now

Four jailed in Algiers case of subsidized cooking oil diverted to a crisps maker — Photo : fawshouse.com (adresse collée)

A judge in Algiers has ordered four people into pretrial detention in a case of subsidized cooking oil allegedly diverted from household supply to a crisps manufacturer, the public prosecutor's office said in a statement on Sunday.

The suspects appeared before the prosecutor on 8 November after a preliminary inquiry by the gendarmerie brigade of Chaïba, in Tipaza province. The file went to the specialized judicial pole of the Sidi M'hamed court, which handles organized and economic crime. The statement describes a group of five people, and the fifth suspect, whose identity has been established, remains at large. Those detained include the manager of the crisps company and its purchasing manager. They face charges of illicit speculation, diversion of goods from their intended use, failure to issue invoices and money laundering.

Gendarmes seized a truck carrying four 1,000-litre tanks holding about 3,500 litres of subsidized oil, with no invoices. In a warehouse they found 50 five-litre jerrycans of subsidized oil, six empty tanks with oil residue and a forklift. A second truck held about 700 empty jerrycans of two brands, again without invoices. According to the prosecutor, the oil was poured from retail packaging into bulk tanks and resold to the owner of the company.

The case matters because Algeria keeps the retail price of staples such as table oil below cost through state subsidies. Diverting that oil to industrial users deprives households and costs the Treasury money.

It comes as the authorities step up their campaign against speculation. On 5 November, Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb launched a digital platform to track the prices and availability of essential goods and told governors to act against speculators. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's Council of Ministers ordered further anti-hoarding measures on 8 November as part of an overhaul of agriculture.

More from Algeria Now

algeria {{ nowMark }}

{{ l.label }}

{{ srTopicsLbl }}

{{ it.a }}{{ it.m }}{{ it.b }}{{ it.meta }}

{{ t.trend }}

{{ tr.label }}

{{ t.breaking }} {{ brk.title }}

{{ t.live }} {{ tickerTitle }}

{{ ticker.ago }}

{{ SB.title }}

{{ SB.live }}

{{ liveTick }}

{{ art.title }}

{{ art.dateLabel }}

{{ artReadLbl }}

{{ t.loadingArt }}{{ artPctLabel }}

{{ p.text }}

{{ g.t }}

{{ t.noBody }}

{{ t.source }} : {{ art.source }} {{ art.dateLabel }}

{{ nxT.next }}{{ nextArt.title }}{{ nextArt.meta }}{{ nxT.read }}

{{ nxT.same }}

{{ it.title }}{{ it.ago }}

{{ searchTitle }}

{{ sr.countLabel }}

{{ it.title }} {{ it.snip }} {{ it.meta }}

{{ sr.msg }}

algerianow

Your daily window into Algeria

Algeria’s news. In English. Every day.

{{ VT.videos }}

{{ svFeat.plat }}

> {{ svFeat.catLabel }} {{ svFeat.title }} {{ svFeat.meta }}

{{ svFeat.plat }}

> {{ svFeat.catLabel }} {{ svFeat.title }} {{ svFeat.meta }}

{{ VT.latest }}

{{ v.catLabel }} {{ v.title }} {{ v.meta }}

{{ svStTitle }}

{{ g.label }}

{{ v.catLabel }} {{ v.title }} {{ v.meta }}

{{ t.archives }}

{{ ar.countLabel }}

{{ it.title }} {{ it.snip }} {{ it.meta }}

{{ ar.msg }}

{{ t.archOff }}

{{ t.loading }}

{{ hero.catLabel }}

{{ hero.title }}

{{ hero.ago }} · {{ stT.sum }}

{{ it.catLabel }} {{ it.title }} {{ it.ago }}

{{ une2.catLabel }}

{{ une2.title }}

{{ it.catLabel }} {{ it.title }}

{{ stT.k1 }}

{{ VT.videos }}

{{ svAllLabel }} ›

{{ svFeat.plat }}

> {{ svFeat.catLabel }} {{ svFeat.title }} {{ svFeat.meta }}

{{ svFeat.plat }}

> {{ svFeat.catLabel }} {{ svFeat.title }} {{ svFeat.meta }}

{{ VT.latest }}

{{ v.catLabel }} {{ v.title }} {{ v.meta }}

{{ t.scores }}

{{ spUpdated }}

{{ lg.label }}{{ lg.season }}

{{ lg.sourceName }}

{{ mt.whenU }} {{ mt.home.name }}{{ mt.hsL }} {{ mt.away.name }}{{ mt.asL }}

{{ mt.evAll }}

{{ t.table }}

#{{ t.cols.p }}{{ t.cols.gd }}{{ t.cols.pts }}

{{ r.pos }} {{ r.name }} {{ r.played }} {{ r.gdLabel }} {{ r.pts }}

{{ st.scorers }}

{{ s.rank }} {{ s.name }}{{ s.team }} {{ s.goals }}

{{ lg.scorersMsg }}

{{ sportMsg }}

{{ VT.sport }}

{{ v.title }} {{ v.meta }}

{{ sec.label }}

{{ it.title }}

{{ it.title }} {{ it.ago }}

{{ sec.q.who }}

{{ t.feed }}

{{ bk.big.catLabel }} {{ bk.big.title }} {{ bk.big.ago }}

{{ sd.catLabel }} {{ sd.title }} {{ sd.ago }}

{{ it.catLabel }} {{ it.title }} {{ it.ago }}

{{ bk.big.catLabel }} {{ bk.big.title }} {{ bk.big.ago }}

{{ it.catLabel }} {{ it.title }} {{ it.ago }}

{{ it.catLabel }} {{ it.title }} {{ it.ago }}

{{ bk.w.catLabel }} {{ bk.w.title }} {{ bk.w.ago }}

{{ pt.catLabel }} {{ pt.title }} {{ pt.ago }}

{{ du.catLabel }} {{ du.title }} {{ du.ago }}

{{ catListTitle }}

{{ cl.countLabel }}

{{ it.title }} {{ it.snip }} {{ it.meta }}

{{ cl.msg }}

{{ t.empty }}

Dégradé de la une

Intensité{{ L.twForceTxt }}