An Algerian patriotic fierce, almost too much. Rachid Thabti, boxer, actor, or even a diplomat, offered his aid to the secret services of his country. And thanks to him, in four years, Algeria has been able to nationalize its petroleum on cheaply, to the detriment of French interests. Unpublished archives have been revealed by L’Express.
A real novel character. This kid from Constantine landed in Paris at the age of 20 in the 1950s. He studied law and, at the same time, he was a boxer. He even managed to pass professional (12 victories in 14 fights). And with his mouth of handsome kid, he also made the actor. He appeared in the cinema in The Comte de Monte-Cristo with Jean Marais or on television in an episode of Last five minutes.
Then he changed his cap. He made a commercial, bookseller or even sports teacher. He was also an almost student at ENA, he nevertheless passed the competition. Finally failed, it was hired at the Algerian Embassy in Paris.
Officially, he was secretary. But the prefecture followed in the track Rachid Thabti. She knew this man was a spy, which harvested economic information. But she did not see that he was downright infiltrated at the Quai d’Orsay, with access to the most sensitive data.
How did he succeed?
Algeria and women were the two loves of Rachid Thabti. The ladies loved its dark brunette charm, half caïd, half dandy. It was the key to his success. Rachid is Having become Richard, ensuring that he is the prince of Marmara, a Turkish island. During the summer of 1966, by dragging in the ministries, he met Béatrice Haleguathe secretary of a laying of the Quai d’Orsay. The latter was the diplomat in charge of oil negotiations with Algeria.
Béatrice was the weak link, the genre to dream of Prince Charming. The false prince covered the secretary with gifts, he told her about marrying her. And then, the air of nothing, he slipped him that, if he had access to some confidential notes, he could shine in the evenings. “I only saw him, I was taken in a gear,” said the poor official later.
The spy therefore had access to these notes, More than 200 documents, sometimes even reports of meetings at the Élysée. A decisive advantage in negotiations. As if by magic, Algeria has foiled all the traps, this is what made the French suspicious.
Rachid Thabti was finally unmasked, he took ten years in prison. He did not have this sentence, an exchange of spies between Paris and Algiers was organized. Anyway, it’s too late. The nationalization of Algerian oil has been activated, the humiliation of the nonsense Quai.
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