Algiers - (AFP) - A court in Algiers sentenced the former director-general of the National Corporation for Maritime Transport to six years in prison on corruption charges, following his dismissal and arrest in June, according to local media and the official APS news agency.

Kamal Asaad was sacked on June 2, by decision of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, due to "behavior that is offensive to Algeria's image and harmful to the interests of citizens," according to the official APS news agency.

His dismissal came after an almost empty ship left on the Marseille trip to Algiers, despite the high demand for trips to Algeria at the beginning of the summer, which caused a scandal.

The former commercial director of the institution, Karim Bouznad, was also sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of approximately 6,700 euros.

A week after the dismissal of Asaad and the official of the Algiers stopover, Kamel Idalia, the national economic and financial pole announced in the Sidi M’hamed court in Algiers that these two officials and five others were under investigation “on charges related to corruption that harmed the citizens and the institution.”

They were tried for "willful waste, unlawful use of property and public funds, abuse of office, and unlawful enrichment".

Two of the defendants, former officials of the institution, were sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison and two international arrest warrants were issued against them.

Charges were dropped against the deputy director of the National Maritime Transport Corporation and the head of the Maritime Shipping Authority.