During the third day of the trial for corruption, having shaken Sonatrach, serious facts concerning the Canadian company “SNC Lavalin”, which had control over the electricity market in Algeria for 20 years, while benefiting from privileges , in this case bank loans and non-payment of certain charges.
The magistrate continued the interrogation of the former Minister of Energy Bouterfa Noureddine, who is being prosecuted in his capacity as CEO of the company “AEC”, having also held the same position at Sonelgaz from 2003 to 2016. And this latter denied the charges against him and said that Chakib Khalilas Minister of Energy, had frozen the “independent electricity production” project and proposed a new project, which opened up the market, for Sonelgaz to become a joint venture.
To be a station establishment, it must have an operating license. And Minister Chakib Khelil is responsible for the station completion agreements, and it was he who “printed” Sonatrach and Sonelgaz to participate.
Chakib Khelil singled out by former Energy Minister Bouterfa
He also added that Chakib Khelil had decided to give the gas for free to the Canadian foreign company “SNC-Lavalin”. And after being confronted with the judge about the statements of one of the witnesses, “MJ”, who said that the purchase of all the electrical energy produced caused a great loss to Sonelgaz, to which Bouterfa replied: “ Wrong, Your Honor,” before the decision was made, there was a study on which investment to take the cheapest. And she was the one with the best offer, and for an estimated compensation of 125 million dollars. This was granted to Canadian society, at the request of Minister Chakib Khalil. Bouterfa replied that there was an expert who had fixed the compensation at 110 million dollars.
Regarding the shutdown of the Larbaa plant, Boutarfa said that it was planned from the start to produce 1,500 hours per year. That is, it worked about 2200 hours a year and did not stop.
While it consumes 2.5 trm kWh and the Larbaa station consumes 1.5 trm kWh. Consequently, its exploitation will result in a loss for the Algerian State. And the law says that it is mandatory for the driver of the electrical system to operate substations that do not consume much.
