Inerga-Sonelgaz Is Accused Of Receiving Italian Bribes

A new corruption scandal broke out in Italy and this time Inerga, a branch of the National Company Of Electricity and Gas “Sonelgaz”, is accused by the public prosecutor of Udine court in northeastern Italy, of receiving bribes from Italian company “PILOSIO” through its General Manager Dario Roustayan , who is also accused of “international corruption and bribery”.

In the details, Echorouk received a letter from the Law Firm “Ponti & Partners” in the Italian city of Udine, dated August 8, 2018, addressed to “Y.J”, President and CEO of Inerga, on the criminal case of Dario Roustayan, No. 4235/2018 / RGNR (101/16), requesting information on the transactions under investigation in Italy.

The correspondence said that “Dr. D.R is currently being investigated in Italy on charges of international corruption, regarding the international tender No. 122 / DA / 2013 of December,15, 2013, and the tender No. 61 / DA / 2014, dated September,30, 2014, which was launched by Inerga and was awarded to the Italian company Pilosio (Italy), when Dr. DR was the general manager”.

Ponti & Partners law office stated, in the same document, that the Udine Prosecution Office accused the company of paying sums to the general manager of Inerga at the time “H.R”, noting that the public prosecution made this hypothesis a fundamental pillar to the charges against the general Manager DR.

The defense office’s letter addressed the president, general manager of Inerga, “Y.J” that the information provided indicates that Mr. HR was not within the committee that was charged with assessing and arranging bids for tenders, explaining that the Algerian law in force in such files (the law of public transactions) required a joint consultative body to take decisions on tenders and for whom they will be awarded ( a committee).

The document asked Inerga to send a number of documents to enable Dr. DR to exercise his full right of defense in this case.

The correspondence specifically requested that it is waiting to receive the members of the Committee for Evaluation of International Tenders’ Bids No. 122/2013 of December,15, 2013 and No. 61/2014 of September,30, 2014, that were launched by Inerga at the time.

The defense also requested that it should be provided with legal references, including the law that is regulating public transactions (tenders), especially with regard to the body that is responsible for its evaluation and awarding it to the winning party.

The Italian law firm asked for documents concerning the role of “H.R” regarding the above-mentioned tenders.

Ponti & Partners law office concluded that it is waiting for the management of the company (Inerga) to respond quickly, especially that the questioning of its client “D.R” is expected on September,14, 2018, and that it is desirable to obtain the required documents before this date.

Echorouk phoned the Italian Ponti & Partners law office but it was unable to communicate with the lawyer Luca Ponti (official in this firm) because he was on a mission in Amazon, Brazil, then the office has already confirmed the case of their client, Dr. DR who had relations with Pilosio’s activities in Algeria.

Echorouk also contacted the former general manager of Inerga for further clarification and information on the case, but his phone was unreachable, and calls on the landline number of the company’s headquarters in Boufarik, Blida province, remain without response.

Italian company “Pilosio” official Facebook page shows that it received on December,4, 2015, a deal in Algeria for the company “Inerga” to provide Concrete load-bearing blocks and the Horizontal Concrete Mixing Plants for six new power stations, and the beginning was with stations of Cap Djanet in Boumerdes (eastern Algiers)) and Ain Arnet in Setif (eastern Algeria).