
Source: AFP
Groups from 5 African countries filed fraud and corruption complaints Wednesday accusing French billionaire Vincent Bollore and 1 of his sons of illegally obtaining and benefitting from larboard concessions.
Bollore Group's African ports and logistics business, which the tycoon sold disconnected successful 2022, employed much than 20,000 radical successful 20 African countries, moving 16 ports arsenic good arsenic warehouses and transport hubs crossed the continent.
Cyrille Bollore, his youngest son, became caput of Bollore Africa Logistics successful 2019, taking implicit from his father.
A corporate made up of non-governmental organisations successful Togo, Guinea, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Cameroon called "Restitution for Africa" are accusing the Bollore Group, Bollore and his lad of unlawfully receiving favours to tally ports past "laundering" money successful those countries done the merchantability of its Africa logistics business.
Bollore did not instantly reply to an AFP petition for comment.
French investigators person already looked into allegations that the Bollore Group had, done its consulting business, illegally backed the 2010 statesmanlike campaigns of Faure Gnassingbe successful Togo and Alpha Conde successful Guinea, successful speech for larboard concessions successful Lome and Conakry.
The group's lawyers managed to negociate a settlement, but French fiscal prosecutors successful 2024 requested Vincent Bollore beryllium tried connected charges of corruption and complicity successful breach of trust.
Wednesday's ailment present accuses Bollore of corruption, benefitting from power peddling and the unlawful taking of interests of section officials successful Cameroon, Ghana and Ivory Coast.
It charges that this is however the radical obtained concessions to tally the ports of Douala and Kribi successful Cameroon, Tema successful Ghana, and Abidjan successful Ivory Coast.
The corporate alleges that the 2022 merchantability of Bollore Africa Logistics, whose profits came from these allegedly illegally obtained larboard concessions, amounted to wealth laundering.
Bollore's holding institution sold Bollore Africa Logistics to the MSC shipping radical for 5.7 cardinal euros ($6.05 billion) successful 2022.
It was thought astatine the clip to beryllium the mainstay of the tycoon's fortune.
Bollore and his household are estimated to beryllium worthy $9.9 billion, according to Forbes. He owns respective right-wing media outlets successful France.
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Source: AFP