The Economic and Financial Criminal Court of Sidi M’hamed in Algiers pronounced today, Thursday, January 19, the maximum sentences against the defendants in the corruption case which affected the company Sonatrach, the largest complex oil tanker from Algeria.
The court handed down a 20-year sentence for former Energy and Mines Minister Chakib Khelil and 5 years for former Foreign Minister Mohamed Bedjaoui, with an international arrest warrant in effect against them, and 10 years in prison for the former Minister of Transport and Public Works, Amar Ghoul, together with a fine of one million dinars. For corruption, squandering of public funds when awarding contracts with foreign companies.
In addition, he also sentenced the former Minister of Energy, Noureddine Boutarfa, to 5 years in prison and 500,000 dinars, but also the former CEO of Sonatrach Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour to 10 years in prison. and a fine of one million dinars, and the former CEO also Mohamed Meziane to 5 years in prison, and Abdelhamid Zerguine, who had held the same position, to 3 years in prison, and 3 years in prison for the former vice-president and general manager of Sonatrach, Boumediene Belkacem.
In addition, the sentences pronounced by the court against the rest of the defendants varied between 3 and 10 years in prison, subject to the acquittal of the other defendants, with the confiscation of all the dreams and funds seized and frozen by the investigating judge.
What indictment for these ministers in this case?
On Monday, January 9, the Public Prosecutor at the national financial and economic criminal center of the Sidi M’hamed court had requested a 20-year prison sentence against the former Minister of Energy and mines, Chakib Khelil and 12 years in prison for the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Bedjaoui, with confirmation of the international arrest warrant issued against them.
In addition, a sentence of 12 years in prison was requested against the former Minister of Public Works, Ammar Ghoul and 10 years in prison against Farid Bedjaoui, with confirmation of the mandate of international judgment issued against it.
The Public Prosecutor had also requested sentences of 10 years in prison also against the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Sonatrach Group, Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour, 8 years in prison against the former CEO of the same group, Mohamed Meziane, and the former CEO of the Sonelgaz group, Noureddine Bouterfa, and 4 years against the former CEO of Sonatrach, Abdelhamid Zerguine.
Finally, the prosecutor had requested sentences ranging from 3 to 10 years in prison against former executives at the Ministry of Energy and the Sonatrach group, together with a fine of one million dinars against all the accused prosecuted in this case.
