Attorney General: Algeria can not charge Khelil with Sonatrach scandal

Attorney General at a court in Algiers asked his Italian counterpart to allow an examining judge and members of the Algerian judicial police to be present in a court in Milano to meet investigators in charge of Sonatrach-Eni-Saipem case.

“Even if names were revealed in the case including a minister, the Algerian law does not allow the judicial authority to do that as long as there are not officially accused,» said Belkacem Zaghmati in a release.

“Judicial investigation into Sonatrach 2 case will be speeded up once the examining judge obtains results from international letter rogatory. Summons of suspects or judicial orders will be sought,” he added.

“The examining judge issued international judicial letter of requests to Swiss, Italian and Emirati judicial authorities.”

The release said the examining judge asked Italian judicial authorities to authorize him and Algerian judicial police officers to go to a court in Milano to meet Italian investigators.

“Since the current phase is for information and evidences collection, the examining judge took many measures in the country. He assigned judicial authorities to investigate into certain aspects upon judicial letter of requests,” said the release.

“Given the information source behind the public lawsuit, the examining judge in charge of the case has to support that information and check their credibility at authorities which issues them.”