The former CEO of the Algerian oil company Sonatrach, Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour, was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 years in prison and a fine of one million dinars (about 6,900 euros) in a corruption case.
He was being prosecuted for « dissipation of public funds, abuse of office and conflict of interest and privilege of a third party in a public contract » in connection with the acquisition of the Augusta refinery located in southern Italy and acquired by Sonatrach in 2018 for a total amount of $2.1 billion.
For the Algerian justice, the former boss would not only have squandered public money, but he would also have acted without having the green light from the board of directors of Sonatrach; accusations that have no basis, according to his defense.
Other former oil company officials were also convicted. The former deputy of Ould Kaddour, Ahmed el-Hachemi Mazighi, who piloted the Augusta takeover project, was sentenced to 7 years in prison and a fine of one million dinars; Ali Raissi, a former executive of the group, was sentenced to 3 years in prison; but Brahim Boumarouf was acquitted.
In addition, the son of the former boss of Sonatrach, Nassim Ould Keddour, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, accompanied by a fine of more than 21 thousand dollars; and his wife, Anissa Ouabdessalam, was sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of more than 14 thousand dollars. The two relatives were prosecuted in the same case.
Ould Kaddour, who led the oil company between March 2017 and April 2019, took refuge in France following the fall of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s regime in 2019. He was arrested in the United Arab Emirates in 2021, then extradited to his country of origin, under an international arrest warrant issued by the Algerian courts against him.
At the start of the trial on November 8, the prosecutor had requested 18 years in prison, but his sentence was reduced.
By OMA Newsletter N° 940 of 16/11/2022
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
