HIBAPRESS – Shafiq Anouri
In the modern Algerian political scene, the name Chakib Khelil remains one of the most controversial names, not only because he held one of the most important vital sectors (the energy sector) for a decade, but also because of the judicial and political accumulations that accompanied his case after he left power.
Khelil's file seems, by its nature, more complex than just ordinary corruption investigations, because it reflects an institutional and political struggle over power, justice, and accountability in contemporary Algeria, and exposes the reality of a state in which the law is tailored to fit; it applies to everyone except officials.
The background of Sonatrach scandals and Khelil's position in them
The corruption scandals that affected the hydrocarbons sector in Algeria began more than a decade ago, in one of the largest state-owned companies, the National Hydrocarbon Company, Sonatrach. The incident was not just an organizational incident or administrative violations, but involved foreign contracts and companies in a way that raises questions about the transparency of the management of national resources.
International and Arab press reports, including those reported by the "Al Arabiya Net" website, at the time, نقلت that investigations revealed commissions of hundreds of millions of dollars paid by the Italian company "Saipem" to senior officials in Sonatrach in exchange for huge contracts in liquefied natural gas projects and the Arzew refinery, between 2006 and 2009, which was the period during which Chakib Khelil was Minister of Energy.
Media sources, such as the Algerian News Agency "APS", in its coverage of the file, pointed out that the investigations also included other names of officials and close associates, and that the file knew its movement between different judicial and administrative bodies before the circle of suspicions was expanded to include other managers in Sonatrach.
Judicial prosecutions and the international arrest warrant
In 2013, the Attorney General at the Algiers Court of Appeal announced the issuance of an international arrest warrant against Chakib Khelil on charges of "abuse of influence, undue influence, and receiving illegal proceeds related to international contracts."
The Algerian press at the time, such as "Al-Khabar" and "Ennahar Online", stated that the warrant also included members of Khelil's family, including his wife and children, and Farid Bedjaoui; who is believed to have been a mediator in financial transfers related to "Saipem" contracts, was also placed on the list of wanted persons.
Reports نقلت by news agencies such as "Voice of America" and "AFP" at the time, that multiple requests were sent via Interpol to hand over the wanted persons, and were accompanied by financial and judicial details from the file.
Fleeing to the United States
Following that, Chakib Khelil left Algeria for the United States of America, where he holds a dual residency and nationality, which hindered the possibility of handing him over easily to the Algerian judiciary, according to press reports at the time.
International reports highlighted that Khelil's presence in the United States of America, exacerbated the difficulty of implementing the arrest warrant, because Algeria had not signed a handover agreement with Washington at that time. Despite many judicial attempts to implement the international order, the case remained suspended for a long time, in light of political developments within Algeria and between the judicial authorities.
From pursuit to official reception
On March 17, 2016, the scene was shocking to Algerian public opinion, as Chakib Khelil returned to Algeria after an absence of nearly three years, despite the continued existence of the international arrest warrant against him, and found in his reception at Oran Airport the Wali of the state, and a number of local and administrative officials, in addition to civil security frameworks that appeared in reception photos.
Political opponents described the move as politicizing the judiciary and exceeding accountability, while local and party officials tried to justify it by being "the citizen's right to return," and that the warrant had performed its function in a certain stage, and had been dealt with procedurally and not finally, which is the same as what some media نقلت statements by local officials.
Social and religious visits: Reading in its significance
Khelil's return was not limited to appearing at Oran airport, but he led social and religious visits in several areas during the days that followed, as confirmed by reports from "Ennahar Online" and "Al-Shorouk", which نقلت photos of his participation in meetings with local associations, sheikhs and mosques.
Khelil visited more than 5 zawiyas in Algeria, at the head of which are the zawiyas: Sidi Ali al-Hajj in the state of Tissemsilt, and Si Mohamed bin Marzouk in the state of Djelfa, and Sidi Mohieddine in the state of Mascara, and Bouzidia in the state of Mostaganem, and he was keen to sit in popular cafes despite the heavy corruption files that haunt him.
Reopening the file after the popular movement
After the popular movement, the Algerian authorities decided, according to what international media reports stated at the time, to refocus on the corruption files of senior officials during the era of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, including the file of Chakib Khelil, which was reopened and proceeded with more at the national and international levels.
Reports stated that the Economic Court in Algeria issued in the following years an in absentia sentence of 20 years in prison for Khelil on charges of "corruption, abuse of power, and mismanagement of contracts", and the international arrest warrant remained in force until now, according to what was circulated by the international press.
