Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Italian state oil company Eni, has attended a hearing over a corruption probe in Algeria, according to a statement from the company.

“The CEO of Eni made himself available today to be heard by the Milan prosecutors’ office, as a person with knowledge of the matter in relation to the Algerian investigations,” a spokesman told news agency Reuters.

The corruption probe centres on Italian oil services company Saipem, which prosecutors claim paid bribes to win contracts worth $11bn in Algeria.

Eni owns 43 per cent of Saipem.

Although both companies have denied that bribes were paid, corruption investigations into the allegations are ongoing in both Italy and Algeria.

Descalzi is not under investigation in the Algerian bribery case, which dates back to 2009 and saw the CEO of Algeria’s national oil company, Sonatrach, removed in 2010.

Descalzi has recently been placed under investigation for another alleged international corruption scandal that centres on a deal for a Nigerian offshore field concession.

Endemic corruption is a key factor putting off potential investment in Algeria’s oil and gas sector.

Only four out of 31 fields were awarded in the country’s latest bidding round, which took place in September.

Algerian energy officials described the result as acceptable.