Algeria’s former minister Khelil to testify at Sonatrach corruption scandal
Lawyers last week called on Algerian justice for summoning former energy minister Chakib Khelil to testify at suspicious deals signed by state-owned energy group Sonatrach, sources say
This request comes as part of speeches for the defense in a court in Algiers concerning suspects accused of money laundering. The sentence will be declared on November 21st.
Accusation chamber at the court examined the case on Wednesday and decided to not declare the sentence until a representative of the civil part is summoned. Remarks were given about prices in the deals in question compared to previous deals concluded by Sonatrach.
An investigation showed that the price applied in one of those deal is less than the proposed offers by 40 percent. Director of the research department which handled the deal is accused of concluding violating contracts with a public enterprise of an industrial and commercial character.
According to the same sources, a judge in a court in Paris found out that some suspects possess assets and accounts in French banks. Yet, the examining judge did not accuse them and did not confiscate this money. He also found out that some suspects in the Sonatrach case own assets which have nothing to do with the deals concluded by the Algerian energy group.