Highway Scandal’s Sixth Day of Trial: Torture against the accused is a lie, DRS reveals more details

Trial of accused in the “highway” scandal continued in Algiers Criminal Court, on Friday, for the sixth day in a row, as it was characterized by the Attorney General pleading, who described the events as dangerous, harming the national economy and tarnishing the reputation of Algeria, which was in the construction and attracting foreign investors stages.

Representative of the general right asked in his pleading the Criminal Court to cite what was stated in the rogatory letter, and contradictions that are taking place in the accused statements during the trial, seeking punishment of 20 years in prison against Khelladi Mohammed, Director of new projects at the highways, and a retired officer, with a fine of up to 5 million ZDZ, and the same punishment against, Chani Madjdoub, Algerian-Luxemburg businessman, with a fine of 80.000 ZDZ.

First accused faces the charges of organizing an criminal group, and abuse of position and bribery, while the second faces the charge of leading a criminal group, influence peddling, bribery and money laundering, with the application of the security period that is related to preventing them, in case of a conviction of parole and the situation in the external workshops, and an open environment and holidays to leave out, midterm freedom for half penalty.

Prosecution pleads 15 years in prison and eight million ZDZ, and the application of security punishment against each of Tadjeddine, the businessman and owner of companies in the Pains Maritimes, and Hamdane Salim, Director of Planning at the Transport Ministry, and charged them of organizing evil group, peddling influence and receiving the undue benefits.

Attorney General demanded 8 years in prison, and application of security period against Adou Sid Ahmed, a businessman who is also shareholder in “Mitalson” company, and a fine worth eight million dinars, and 8 years in prison against Allab Elkhir, a businessman, with a fine worth million dinars.

Representative of the public prosecutor sought three years in effective imprisonment and a fine worth one million dinars against Mohamed, who is also called (Col. Khaled), under the former Justice Minister, who is also followed on charges of abuse of power, the exploitation of a job and receiving gifts.

The prosecutor demanded the death two years imprisonment in force and a fine of million dinars in the right of each of the former Secretary General of the Ministry of Public Works Bouchama Mohammed, the Director of the Office of Amar Ghoul same ministry brushes Belkacem, and the framework of the same ministry Ghazali Ahmad, followers of abusing the job and receiving bribery.

General Attorney defends the DRS services

Attorney General’s pleading, which lasted more than two hours, on Friday, about the facts over which the defendants are followed in the case of the “highway”, and whom he described by saying: “We are in front of people who are not ordinary” and this because of their positions: as most of them are officials of the Transport and Public Works Ministry, and a senior officer in the army, an official of Justice Ministry and owners of companies.

He strongly defended the services of judicial control, or what is known by the public as DRS, and the work which it did during investigations on corruption in the Transport and Public Works Ministry, as it contributes to the disclosure of circumstances of the scandal file.

The case exceeds the highway to include transport sector

General Attorney’s pleading divides the defendants into two groups, one contributed to the corruption in the Public Works Ministry, or what is known as the highway, especially Khelladi, Chani, Bouchama and Wazane and the rest of Public Works officials, and Tadjeddine together with “COJAAL”, “CITIC” and “SMNC”, while the second group contributed in the corruption of the Transport Ministry regarding the Tramway, Metro and elevators projects, and it includes Sid Ahmed, Hamdan Salime, Gharib sisters, Allab Elkhir and companies like Izilox Cursan, Birzarotti, Cuba and Carventa.

Khelladi faces witnesses, refuse to take responsibility

Debate and controversy increased between the witnesses from the officials of the National Agency of Highways with the accused Khelladi Mohamed, and even representatives of the Chinese “CITIC” and Japanese “Cojaal”, as the judge Hilali Taib asked the witnesses about their confrontation with those who are involved at the same time, to remove the confusion and ambiguity regarding the benefits that some officials received in the highway project, through a demand which Khelladi asked from “Cojaal” and “CITIC”, at a time the two companies considered the advantages of renting apartments and villas, phones and cars within the formula of “Additional Works” in the deal, the witness, who is the Director of the National Highway Agency, Mohamed.Z, confirm that it is not reasonable to include these services in the deal that is relating to the highway works. The agency is responsible of the delays in the project.

Treasury defense: There is no smoke without fire

Civil party defense and the treasury’s judicial agent asserted that the occurrence of corruption in the highway was proven by the judicial rogatories, with the existence of bribes and money laundering, as all of these acts harmed the public money, pointing out that there are five staff members of the ministries who have expended public money, to confirm that these serious facts harmed the national economy, and the National Highways Agency which is funded by the state.