Sonatrach’s former officials sentenced under corruption charges

Five former officers at government-owned hydrocharbons company Sonatrach, on Wednesday, have been sentenced to prison and fined after being convicted of corruption chagres by the Court of Oran.

Sonatrach’s former chief executive, Mohamed Meziane, has been sentenced to two years, with one year suspended, while his former assistant Abdelhafid Feghouli has been sentenced to one year, including four months suspended, for charges of “striking illegal deals and embezzlement of public funds,” in accordance with anti-corruption law.
Three other defendants have been sentenced to one year in jail, including eight months suspended, namely: Benamar Touati, former chief executive of Soantrach’s subsiduiary firm COGIS, Henni Mekki, former chair of department of studies and development at Sonatrach, Tidjini Nechnech, former Algeria-France engineering firm Safir.