A state-owned petroleum company in Algeria has filed a complaint against two security guards, "B. Saad Eddine" and "Ch. Aamer", who are accused of breach of trust after 10 tires went missing from the company's warehouse. The incident was discovered during an inventory check, which revealed that 82 large tires were unloaded from a truck, but only 72 were accounted for.
During the trial, the first defendant, "Ch. Aamer", who was not in custody, testified that on the day of the incident, he counted the tires before leaving his shift and recorded 62 tires in the logbook. He claimed that his colleague, "B. Saad Eddine", called him later that night and told him that the actual number of tires was 72, suggesting that he may have made a counting error.
The first defendant's testimony was questioned by the court president, who pointed out that his statements were contradictory to those made during the initial investigation. The president emphasized that the defendant's role was to count and record the tires, which he did, but the discrepancy in the numbers was not explained. The court president held the defendant responsible for the missing tires.
The second defendant, "B. Saad Eddine", testified that when he took over the shift, he counted the tires and found that they were 10 short of the number recorded in the logbook. He claimed that he informed his colleague and their supervisor, and they rectified the situation. However, he expressed surprise that the company stated that the total number of tires was 82.
The petroleum company has requested compensation for the losses incurred due to the negligence of the two security guards. The prosecution has demanded a one-year prison sentence and a fine of 100,000 Algerian dinars for each defendant. The case has been adjourned until October 12 for a verdict.
The incident highlights the need for better inventory management and security measures at state-owned companies in Algeria. The case also raises questions about the accountability of employees and the consequences of negligence. The court's decision is expected to set a precedent for similar cases in the future.
The trial's outcome will be closely watched by the Algerian public, who are concerned about corruption and mismanagement in state-owned enterprises. The case is one of several recent incidents of alleged corruption and negligence in Algeria, which have sparked public debate about the need for greater transparency and accountability.
Key points
- Two Algerian security guards are accused of breach of trust after 10 tires went missing from a state-owned petroleum company's warehouse.
- The incident was discovered during an inventory check, which revealed a discrepancy in the number of tires.
- The court has demanded a one-year prison sentence and a fine of 100,000 Algerian dinars for each defendant.
