Sonatrach-Saipem Scandal: Total Absence of accused in Milan Court

Same court justified its decision by using the Basic Law of Sonatrach, which does not allow the General Manager to submit a request at his name.

Request of founding the Algerian Citizens Movement as a civil party was also dropped, which means that the Italian tax agency will be the only civilian party in the case, while February,29, was identified as the date for the next session.

Italian Milan court started, on Monday, to consider the international bribery and corruption scandal “Saipem-Sonatrach”, at the Fourth Chamber of the Criminal Pole, and what is striking in the case, is the total absence of six accused, both from the Algerian or Italian parties.

Session opened with calling the accused, but the dock was empty of any accused, who are, Farid Bedjaoui, Samir Ouriad and Omar Habbour from the Algerian party, and from the Italian side Pietro Bruno, SAIPEM’s former director of operational activities, and CEO of the company, Pietro Franco Tali, while lawyers for the six defendants attended the trial, including the lawyer for the National Company of Hydrocarbons, Gualtere Giacomo, and lawyer of Algerian citizens movement in France and Europe, Alion Nadiaye Papa.

Six accused defence asked for excluding the National Company of Hydrocarbons from assessing as a civil party in the case, as  the six lawyers also wondering about the relationship of establishing the movement of Algerian citizens as a civil party, in a similar case, and especially the question of the extent of their representation to the Algerians.

Algerian citizens movement lawyer defends strongly on being established as a civil party in the case, and presented the documents that prove the form and content of the movement, to the head of the session, before applying the request of assessment.

In contrast, the six accused’ lawyers did not present a request for the exclusion of the Italian Agency of Taxes from being assessed as a civil party, and it will be the only civil party in the case.

After a consultation with the Chairman of the session with his assistants, he lifted consideration on the request of the six defendants’ defence.

National oil company “Sonatrach” is now victim of its basic laws and domestic procedure, as it was the reason for the drop of its request by the Milan court to be established as a civil party, then the Italian agency of taxes, agenzia dell’ entrate, is the only civil party in the case, which reflects the real Italian desire to restore a part of the bribes for the Italian treasury, especially that the defendants are followed with tax evasion.

Chairman of the hearing, announced on Monday, during the period of the trial, that the Basic Law of Sonatrach is inconsistent with the request for being established as a civil party, and therefore the demand was dropped.