On April 27, 2019, Hamel and his son were summoned by Algerian judicial authorities on the count of “illegal activities, influence peddling, misappropriation of land and misuse of office”.[5] On July 4, 2019, Hamel and his son were summoned in a court in Sidi M'Hamed. The two were questioned by a prosecutor and imprisoned in El Harrach prison temporarily.
Hamel was sentenced to 15 years in prison on April 1, 2020 along with a heavy fine for several corruption cases that occurred during his tenure. This was reduced to 12 years with an appeal.[6] His children Amiar, Chafik, Mourad, and Chahinaz were sentenced to ten, eight, seven, and three years in prison respectively. These sentences were all reduced to eight, six, five, and one year respectively.[6] Hamel's wife, Annani Salima, was sentenced to two years in prison. His family's assets were confiscated.[7]
In June 2020, Hamel was sentenced to 12 years in prison for "misappropriation of agricultural land and influence peddling", but this was declared null and void in April 2022.[8] In another case, he was sentenced to four years in prison for "abuse of office and laundering public money for the financing of terrorist groups, under the guise of purchasing real estate" but he was acquitted in November 2021.[9][10]
In October 2020, during a case involving Bouteflika's daughter Nachinachi Zoulikha, Hamel was sentenced to ten years in prison.[11][12] Hamel's assets were confiscated in 2021.[13]
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