Italian “Saipem” Energy Company Wraps Up 13-Year Legal Battle In Algeria

The Italian energy company “Saipem” has ended a 13-year legal battle in Algeria with a total acquittal by the Court of Appeal of the Capital’s Judicial Council, the lifting of fines previously imposed and the unfreezing of two bank accounts worth 63 million euros.
In this context, a statement by the Italian company “Saipem” on Sunday evening, a copy of which was seen by Echorouk, stated that it had been acquitted by the Algerian Court of Appeal in the case relating to a tender launched in 2008 for the Rhoud El Nass project.
The company said: “Saipem welcomes the full acquittal by the Court of Appeal of Algiers.
The source added that, further to the press release issued on 19 January 2023, Saipem announced that the Algiers Court of Appeal had delivered its judgment in the second instance in the criminal case initiated in December 2022 against the company in connection with its participation in the 2008 tender for competitive studies related to the Rhoud El Nass (QH) project. )
The statement added that the Algerian Court of Appeal, on the basis of the operative judgment as read at the hearing and as communicated to Saipem by its local defence team, extended the decision to acquit the company of all charges.
As a result, Saipem said, the court cancelled the fines and dismissed the claims previously imposed by the Algiers court of first instance.
And last December, Saipem announced that the Algerian Court of Appeal had lifted the quarantine imposed since 2010 on the bank accounts of its Algerian branch in connection with the corruption investigation into the so-called Sonatrach 1 file and the “GK-3” gas pipeline project, as well as rejecting a claim for damages filed by the Public Treasury in connection with the same project.
According to the company, the quarantine imposed on two bank accounts in Algeria with a balance of 63 million euros has been lifted, as they had been frozen by the Algerian judiciary in 2010 in connection with investigations into projects won by the Italian company in 2008.
Previously, the same company had benefited from the acquittal in the “Sonatrach-Eni-Saipem” corruption file, issued by the Italian Court of Appeal in Milan in December 2020, on charges of offering bribes to Sonatrach officials and Algerian government officials to win oil and gas contracts. Saipem officials and the trio were also acquitted. The Algerians accused in the case, included Farid Bedjaoui.
The acquittal also included the suspension of the decision to confiscate the financial value of the alleged bribes, which amounted to 197 million euros, and the cancellation of the fine imposed on them, estimated at 400,000 euros.
It is not excluded that the Italian company will participate in future tenders for projects in Algeria, particularly in the oil and gas sector, given that it has not been able to participate in new tenders since the end of 2008.