Recorded Calls To Uncover Sonatrach-ENI-Saipem Scandal

Trial of the international corruption and bribery case “Sonatrach-ENI-Saipem” at the Court of Milan is expected to notice a turning point, after the public prosecutors asked for uncovering all the recorded calls that were intercepted by the defendants in the scandal, both from Algerian or Italian parties, and presenting them during the trial at the next hearing on February,6, 2017.

In this context, a voice record of another session of the trial on 16 January, which copy is available to Echorouk, a recording of 47-minutes and 30-seconds, shows that the public prosecutor in the Court of Milan obtained permission of the body to uncover the audio recordings of the calls, that have been wiretapped by those involved in the scandals.

According to the same records, the prosecution had formally requested the edition and and inventory of the audio recordings of the calls that were intercepted and wiretapped, pointing out that the verification of the evidence will be presented during the next session on February, as the public prosecutor said in this context; “Tests of evidence’s preparation finished, but we kept the presentation for the court during the next hearing … I have ordered an inventory and edition of their content. I did not bring the evidence, believing that the meeting will be devoted solely for the preliminary judicial discussion and unification of the two cases in one”.

Public prosecutor spoke about the case of Eni share with the Canadian company First Calgary Petroleums in the gas and oil field “CAFC” that is owned jointly with Sonatrach, as he said: “During the next meeting I will present the test of evidence on the issue of Eni and its access to CAFC oil field shares.

This issue is central to the scandal because the Italian public prosecutors disclosed them in June 2016, and the commissions that incurred from them went directly to the former Energy Minister, Chakib Khelil, and his assistants, worth 41 million euros, so as Eni company will buy the share of the Canadian company FCP in CACF at the value of 923 million Canadian dollars.

 Prosecution has demanded, according to the same record, “Recordings of calls that were intercepted, both in the case of Saipem or Eni and all those who are involved in the two cases alike”, as he added: “Including Antonio Bella and Paolo Scaroni”.

Intervention of the defense of the accused, including the defense of Farid Bedjaoui and Omar Habbour and Samir Ouriad, and the rest of the defendants, including the Italians, Paolo Scaroni, the lawyers asked for enabling them to have these calls recordings, in order to provide a response in the course of the trial.