Officials earn 39,000 Euros in return for suspicious deals with German company

Manager of Germany’s Contel Algeria told a judge in a court in Algiers that his company acquired deals at Sonatrach and paved the way to a German corporation to enter the Algerian market.

Suspect A.M.R. also said the contracts were granted with the help of Sonatrach’s CEO Mohamed Meziane. The German company suggested to create a venture in France and appoint Meziane’s son as its manager. Yet, he refused and withdrew from the group.

Investigations show that officials at SARL Contel Algeria received large sums from the German company in return for helping it to win deals in Sonatrach.

Suspect A.M.R. earned 20,000 Euros per month and his son earned 12,000 Euros as part of consultation contracts.

SARL Contel Algeria signed its contract with the German company in 2006.

Meziane’s son got 200 shares in Contel Algeria without paying money although Sonatrach’s rules and regulations forbid him to work in the company or in another corporation.

A.M.R. said his company won a deal to establish a surveillance and electronic protection system for an industrial complex in southern Algeria.