Sanofi-Aventis global healthcare company An Algerian court on Wednesday granted the director-general of Sanofi-Aventis laboratories, which specialises in medicine production, and French businessman Thierry Lefevre to a year-long suspended sentence. The two were convicted for forging invoices of drug ingrediends and inflating numbers. The court also fined French company Sanofi-Aventis DA 2bn.
Prosecution had sought a three year sentence for the general manager of the company and a fine equivalent to twice the value of the violation. It also wanted Sanfoi-Aventis laboratories to pay a fine four times the value of the violation.
According to defence lawyer Kamal Maachou, Algerian customs had filed a complaint against Sanofi-Aventis accusing it of forging its invoices, filing seven judicial reports against it.
During his plea , the lawyer demanded the company be acquitted, explaining that the bill of the medicine in question was less than that of the Sanofi-Aventis laboratories, while both did not import the same substances. He also sought the appointment of an expert to ensure whether the issue was related to financial irregularities or not.
Algerian finance minister Karim Djoudi on Monday had ruled out an out-of-court settlement for the issue.