ALGIERS - The sitting judge at the penal and economic pole of the tribunal of Sidi M’hamed (Algiers) sentenced, on Tuesday, the former CEO of Sonatrach, Abdelmoumen Ould Keddour, to a 15-year prison term, accompanied by a fine of one (1) million dinars in a corruption case related to the acquisition of the Augusta refinery.
In the same case, his son Nassim Ould Keddour was sentenced to 10 years in prison, accompanied by a fine of three (3) million dinars with the confirmation of the international arrest warrant issued against him, while the wife of Abdelmoumen Ould Keddour, Anissa Ouabdessalam was sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of two (2) million dinars.
Two sentences of 3 and 7 years in prison were pronounced against two defendants, while another defendant was acquitted.
Abdelmoumen Ould-Kaddour and his co-defendants in this case are prosecuted for several charges, including the “conclusion of public contracts in violation of the regulations and laws in force, granting others undue privileges; squandering of public funds; abuse of office; bribery; conflict of interest and non-consultation of the social partner when concluding the transaction of the acquisition of the Augusta refinery from the American group Exxon mobil, in 2018.
Noting that the former CEO of Sonatrach fled abroad for over two years. An international arrest warrant has been issued against him. He was arrested in the United Arab Emirates and extradited to Algeria in August 2021. He was immediately placed in preventive detention until the scheduling of his trial in November.
