French court opens “black box” of Algerian businessman Khalifa

A court in Paris had been hearing the wife of an Algerian businessman who is accused of money laundering for 10 hours before she was freed.

Nadia Amirouchene, 34, is expected to appear once again in court as part of a complementary investigation on the bank scandal of her husband Abdelmoumene Rafik Khalifa.

Amine Chaachouae, Khalifa’s assistant in Paris was also heard in the same context.Nadia Amirouchene who was sentenced to 10 years prison with an international arrest warrant against her was one of Khalifa Airways’ managers.

She was put under judicial control and was summoned once again by the French court after a complementary file had been submitted.Amine Chaachouae who was in prison said he gave money to a number of French artists and cinema celebrities to make them attend Khalifa TV’s opening ceremony in 2006 in Cannes, France.

French artists Gérard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve told the judge they had received considerable sums of money to participate in the TV channel’s opening ceremony.

Amine Chaachouae was jailed but he was released later because there was no evidence against him. Amine Chaachouae and Nadia Amirouchene are charged with public money squandering concerning a villa bought by Abdelmoumene Khalifa at $30 million and Amine Chaachouae sold it at $16 million.Amine Chaachouae is also accused of money laundering by financial transfers between Khalifa Bank and other banks in Dubai and Washington.