Chakib Khalil: I am not guilty and will come back to Algeria next week

Algeria’s former energy minister Chakib Khalil will enter his country willingly earlier in April. He plans to ensure that he would not be arrested at any airport in any country, said the coordinator of the Algerian Citizens’ Movement in France.

“Khalil called us on Tuesday and Wednesday as the movement is part of the plaintiffs against him. He told me Algerian justice has never asked him to appear in court,” Omar Ait Mokhtar told Echorouk on the phone.

He added that Khalil appeared to be confident and sure of his plan to enter Algeria.

According to the movement’s coordinator, Khalila said “I was a minister. If there is foreign justice which wants me, my country’s justice has priority if necessary.”

Speaking of bribes-related allegations, the Algerian former minister said: “ask the others if I am involved in receiving bribes.”

Ait Mokhtar said Khalil talked in Arabic, French and some Algerian dialect.

“I have never refused to enter Algeria. All what was written about me in newspapers is baseless. Algerian justice has never called on me to appear in court,” Khalil told him.