Summary harges include influence peddling, inflating contract prices, money laundering and skimming millions
ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) - Five years after its discovery, the trial has begun for one of Algeria s most notorious corruption scandals involving the state-run oil company that generates most of the country s revenue.
In a packed courthouse on Sunday that included the ambassadors of Italy, the U.S. and Germany, prosecutors read the charges against former head of Sonatrach Mohammed Meziane, his two sons, and 16 other company officials.
Charges include influence peddling, inflating contract prices, money laundering and skimming off millions of dollars in bribes.
The scandal was uncovered in 2009 by Algeria s feared intelligence service, and involved contracts involving Italian and German companies.
The scandal was seen as part of a score-settling between the intelligence agency and President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, which also explains the long delays in the charges going to trial
