Former Sonatrach CEO Faces Trial on Corruption Charges

Algerian state television reported that on Wednesday, the United Arab Emirates handed over the former CEO of the state-owned oil and gas company Sonatrach, Abdelmoumen Ould Kadour, for trial over his involvement in corruption cases. Television footage showed Ould Kadour handcuffed and surrounded by police officers upon his arrival at Algiers International Airport. He had been arrested in Dubai after an Algerian court issued an international arrest warrant for him earlier this year. Algerian authorities state that Ould Kadour is accused of several corruption cases related to contracts signed by Sonatrach, including the purchase of the Augusta refinery in Italy from ExxonMobil in 2018. Ould Kadour served as the CEO of Sonatrach from March 2017 to April 2019 and was close to former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who resigned in 2019 following widespread protests against his plans to seek a fifth term.