The Supreme Court Orders Retrial of Khalifa Case

The Supreme Court has validated an appeal lodged by the defence and the prosecutor in “El Khalifa” bank case.

According to lawyer Khaled Bourayou, under the decision of the Supreme Court, the case will be retried in the Court of Blida during the upcoming criminal session.

94 defendants are due to be heard again over charges of conspiracy, robbery, swindling, abuse of trust and the use of forged documents.

The court of Blida in 2007 convicted the defendants to different sentences, reaching life prison in absentia against the main defendant in this controversial case, namely Abdelmoumen Khalifa.

The new trial means that that all parties are due to be summoned by the magistrate, even those who have been acquitted by the former rule, said lawyer Miloud Brahimi.

To recll, the deffence lodged an appeal as soon as the ruling was issued in 2007, and the magistrates at the Supreme Court have been reexamining the case for five years, before validating it and order the retrial. 

Abdlmoumen Khalifa is currently in Britain, where he has been referred into custody, over a complaint issued by France against him. 

Algeria has lodged an extradition warrant to Britain, but the magistrates are still examining the evidences included in the warrant.