Court rejects release of Sonatrach corruption suspects
الشروق أونلاين
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Accusation Chamber at a court in Algiers Tuesday rejected requests to release suspects involved in the case of the state-owned energy group Sonatrach and to ban the freezing of their banking accounts.
The suspects are accused of corruption and money laundering. Of them, there are Sonatrach’s former CEO Mohamed Meziane and his two sons.
This comes a week after lawyers spoke in favor for releasing the suspects and banning the freezing of their banking accounts. Attorney General called for considering the facts as felony as the case arms the national economy.
According to sources, the Accusation Chamber ordered to introduce the suspects into a criminal court. Meziane, his sons, Crédit Populaire d’Algérie’s former CEO, his son, vice-directors and directors at Sonatrach, Executive Director of Central Activities at the company and vice-director were charged with sealing unlawful deals, money laundering, corruption and money squandering.
Investigations showed that some suspects had money coming from suspicious deals they had sealed as they hold many positions at Sonatrach.
The Accusation Chamber also ordered to accuse Italy’s Saipem and Germany’s Contel group and CAD, a private research department of being involved in the signature of unlawful contracts to raise prices ad get bribes.
Investigations in the Sonatrach case were launched early in January 2010. The appearance of suspects in the criminal court would clear up mystery surrounding many controversial facts.
Most of the suspects told investigators Algeria’s former energy minister Chakib Khelil knew about the deals sealed by mutual agreement with foreign companies. They caused a financial gap and considerable financial loss to Sonatrach and the freezing of its banking accounts.
