ALGERIAN GOVERNMENT KEEPS SILENT: Rafik Abdelmoumene Khalifa soon released?!

Suspicious, strange and puzzling information by some local and international voices since days, that the famous Algerian billionaire, detained in the British prison, Rafik Abdelmoumene Khalifa, has received assurances by his lawyers that he will be released in the coming few days, after the magistrate of the French Nanterre court abandoned the judicial follow up, following the request of the general prosecutor to acquit him, and the acknowledgment of the lack of jurisdiction regionally… meaning that Khalifa will be released, while the Algerians were sure that he will be extradited to the Algerian authorities and that it is only a question of time based on the statements of some Algerian high officials. 

• The French magistrate of Nanterre court, Francois De Jardin, has decided to abandon the judicial follow up against the group Khalifa in France, making ten employees in this group under judicial control, as they received notification from their lawyers that they have been freed and that the file has been closed definitively by the French authorities. Among these persons, there was the ex wife of Rafik Abdelmoumene Khlifa, Nadia Amirouchene, and the former manger of Khalifa group in France, Amine Chaouchi.
• Decision by the French judicial authorities, had put its British counterpart in a critical status, after it had decided in June 2008 to extradite Rafik Abdelmoumene Khalifa to the Algerian authorities, however, the decision was not applied, only because the measure needed approval by the British Interior Minister, an approval that has never been realized for unknown reasons… until everyone was surprised by the decision of French justice. This decision had political backgrounds, as Nicolas Sarkozy’s government used it as a card to put pressure on Algeria or as a means to resolve economic and commercial accounts with Algeria. While observers think that the French decision may help the Algerian authorities, because practically it will allow Britain to extradite Khalifa to Algeria and finish up with this heavy burden… It is just a read which can be right; however, it is not supported by evidence. Because if it is confirmed that the European decision against Rafik Abdelmoumene Khalifa has finished, then the man has the right to freedom, and even asking for compensation for all the material and moral damages that are results of the arbitrary imprisonment.
• Previously, the British justice approved the decision to extradite khalifa to Algeria, however, experts in law thought ( June 2008) that Khalifa, sentenced in absentia by the Algerian justice to life prison, that his extradition would take  longer  time, particularly with the possible appeal in the expected decision which will be announced by the British Foreign Minister about extradition of the “golden boy”, who flied on his way in the Algerian sky, since the establishment  of the commercial group khalifa in 1998 and his suspicious success, before it had been closed in 2003, causing a huge financial deficit, as the bankrupted company also caused large losses to the Algerian public treasury estimated to more than two billion dollars, as well as the damage of 133 companies owned by government, and 250.000  customers who put their savings in Khalifa bank.
• Describing the case as “sensitive” and “complicated”, British Ambassador to Algiers Andrew Henderson on Sunday (October 25th) said the London court “needs more time”.
• Abdelmoumene Rafik Khalifa (born October 1, 1966) is an Algerian businessman living in London. He was condemned to a life sentence, charged of criminal association, corruption, abuse of trust, and forgery. His trial was one of the largest in Algeria involving the embezzlement of more than $1 billion through a range of Khalifa-linked companies.
• Rafik is the son of Laroussi Khalifa a former minister. He started his career as a pharmacist. In 1998 He founded El Khalifa Bank, which managed the interests of small private shareholders and institutional shareholders related to the Algerian government. Continuing his activities in France, he quickly created an empire which employed 14,000 people. He was in the luxury cars rental business, before founding Khalifa TV in France, Khalifa Airways, and buying a private hotel in Cannes which had belonged to the eccentric billionaire known as Môme Moineau.
• Owner of three villas in Cannes, Rafik Khalifa wanted to create a ville nouvelle named “Algeria,” triggering the attention of French media. He became close to the French show-business, getting to know Gerard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve. However, in 2003, a judicial liquidation of his indebted firm was started.
• Khalifa then used shady methods to save his assets. An investigation revealed the disappearance of 50 million Euros in the Khalifa Bank of Algiers. Khalifa was then suspected of having spent the money of personalities close to the Algerian President Bouteflika. 17 judicial investigations were opened against him, who took refuge in London in 2003. The Khalifa Bank was closed on orders of Bouteflika.
•  His trial involved more than 100 defendants and 200 witnesses. On 22 March, 2007, he was condemned in Algeria, in absentia, to a life sentence, charged of criminal association, corruption, abuse of trust, and forgery.
• A few days earlier, on March 5, 2007, the French justice had also issued a European arrest warrant against him. The Court of Nanterre had opened an investigation against Khalifa in 2003, charged of fraudaulous bankruptcy, abuse of social assets (abus de bien sociaux; i.e. corruption) and money-laundering.
• London authorized Khalifa’s extradition in the end of August 200. Algeria has also issued an international arrest warrant against him.