ALGIERS: International arrest warrants have been issued for former energy minister Chekib Khelil and eight others in connection with a corruption case at energy firm Sonatrach, Algeria’s prosecutor general said yesterday.
Khelil’s wife, their two children, his right-hand man Farid Bedjaoui and the former head of his office Redha Hamche also face arrest, Belkacem Zeghmati told a news conference in Algiers.
He said the warrants were issued two weeks ago.
The suspects are wanted in connection with the award of contracts by flagship state-owned firm Sonatrach in return for commissions.
Khelil is also wanted by Italy in connection with bribes paid to high-ranking Algerian officials, including in Sonatrach, to obtain markets in the North African country for Italian oil service group Saipem.
The Italian justice authorities are trying to retrieve $123m which were allegedly deposited in bank accounts in Singapore and Hong Kong managed by Bedjaoui, who is said to be based in Dubai and a holder of a French passport.
Media reports in Algeria and Italy say that Bedjaoui is suspected of being the middle-man who paid the commissions in return for oil contracts granted to Saipem, a subsidiary of Italian energy giant ENI.
The Milan prosecution has issued international arrest warrants for both Khelil and Bedjaoui.
Italian judge Alfonsa Ferraro, quoted by the Corriere della Sera newspaper, has said that Saipem won eight contracts in Algeria for a total value of ¤8m.
In return Saipem allegedly paid $197m in bribes which it declared as intermediary fees placed with the Hong Kong-based Pearl Partners Limited company controlled by Bedjaoui, the Italian paper reported.
Algerian Justice Minister Mohamed Charfi told parliament in July that an investigation into Sonatrach had revealed that corruption was at an international level, and that France, Italy and Switzerland were helping in the probe since 2012.
Khelil was sacked as energy minister in May 2010 amid accusations of corruption within his team.
AFP
