Former Energy Minister’s nephew to appear before the judge over Sontrach’s scandal

The examining magistrate of the court of Algiers will tomorrow hear the son of the former Algerian hydrocarbons Company (Sonatrach) General Manager, Mohammed Meziane along with the two indicted in a series of financial scandals including money laundering, embezzlement and malpractices, corruption and squandering of public funds, reliable sources revealed to Echourok.

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• The first investigations have revealed that numerous contracts have been sealed with national and foreign companies and engineering offices without invitations to tender in keeping with the legislation in force.
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• Some 1864 illegal contracts were sealed through mutual agreement during the period January going from 2005 through July 2009 by the former General Manager Mohammed Meziane and his close aides indicted in this case alongside the relatives of top managers in the company and the Hydrocarbons sector, it said.
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• The same sources have indicated that the nephew of the former Algerian Energy and Mines Minister, Chakib Khellil, who is considered as one of the convicts, will be summoned by the judge.
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• The man, who holds a Swiss citizenship, is married to a Turkish woman and is dwelling in the same country for the time being. It is said that he is involved in a series of scandals that rocked the company.
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• Taking advantage of his post in the company, where he was appointed by the former CEO Mohammed Meziane as his personal advisor, he created a branch specialized in sports activities within the same company and was in charge of the sponsoring activities.
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• He flew to Turkey right after the break up of the scandal as he felt the threat after being tipped that he would be mentioned in the security forces’ investigations, but this didn’t prevent him to create an office in Turkey and get a huge salary from Sonatrach.
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