ALGIERS – The representative of the Public Treasury claimed, Monday, more than 127 billion DA as compensation by the companies prosecuted in the case of the former Minister of Energy Chakib Khalil.
At the end of the hearing of the 40 accused in this case, the trial of which opened at the economic and financial criminal pole at the tribunal of Sidi M’hamed (Algiers), the representative of the Publiuc Treasury claimed one million dinars of compensation for each of the 40 defendants.
The representatives of the civil party presented their written indictments to the tribunal to request compensation from the customs department for the sum of 1,000 billion centimes, indicating that the “serious” damage having tarnished the credibility and the reputation of the group “are due to the manipulations of the officials who were at its head”.
The tribunal had completed the hearing of the representatives of the Italian group involved in this case in which several foreign companies operating in the energy sector in Algeria are being prosecuted, as well as executives from the Sonatrach group and the customs department. All of the defendants have denied the charges against them.
The morning session was devoted to the hearing of the main defendants prosecuted for corruption offences, the first of which was the former CEO of the Sonatrach group, Mohamed Meziane, detained in a penal establishment in Oran after his conviction in another case. Meziane is being prosecuted, in the case of Chakib Khelil, for concluding contracts in violation of the laws and regulations in force, abuse of office and granting of undue privileges.
The former head of the public group denied the charges against him, attributing the responsibility to the former Minister of Energy, Chakib Khalil, whom he accused of favoring the Italian Group, to the detriment of the Emirati company “Petrofac who had presented a better offer.
The defendants are being prosecuted for charges related to corruption in the case of the Arzew gas complex (Oran), including granting undue privileges, abuse of office and conclusion of contracts in violation of laws and regulations in force, in accordance with Law 06-01 relating to the prevention and fight against corruption.
It should be noted that the Public Treasury and the Sonatrach Group have joined as civil parties. Former Energy Minister Chakib Khalil has been the subject of international arrest warrants for all the cases he is being prosecuted at the level of the investigation chambers of the National Specialized Pole.
In a related context, the public prosecutor at the tribunal of Sidi M’hamed (Algiers) requested, on Tuesday, a 20-year prison sentence against the former Minister of Energy, Chakib Khelil. He, also, requested against the accused a fine of 2 million Da, the maintenance of the international arrest warrant issued in September 2019, the confiscation of his real estate, furniture and bank accounts, as well as those members of his family.
A sentence of 10 in prison and a fine of one (1) million Da were requested against the former CEO of Sonatrach, Mohamed Meziane and his deputy, Abdelhafidh Feghouli.
The public prosecutor also requested a sentence of 4 years in prison and one (1) million Da against the director of legal affairs at Sonatrach, Boumediene Abbas.
A sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of one (1) million Da were requested against the defendants, Gilbert Bulato and Massimo Gallipoli Steal, representatives of the Italian Group.
The public prosecutor has also requested a 3-year prison sentence and a fine of 200,000 Da against the other defendants, namely: Customs executives and freight forwarders with confiscation of their real estate and banking assets. .
A fine worth twice the inflated invoices, the amount of which exceeds, according to the expertise carried out, 9 million USD, has been requested against the legal persons.
