The boss of the French group Bolloré, well known for its port concessions in Africa, was placed in custody Tuesday, April 24 morning in the premises of the judicial police in Nanterre, France, according to information relayed by the French press.
The powerful French boss is suspected of “bribing foreign public officials” in the context of the award, in 2010, management contracts ports of Conakry, Guinea, and Lome, Togo. A charge that is brought against its world-renowned subsidiary Havas, specialized in communication and advertising, which would have been activated to facilitate the arrival of some African leaders in power by providing invoiced advice and communication missions.
At the heart of the case, executives of Havas as Jean-Philippe Dorent, head of the international pole of the agency. As Le Parisien recalls, Jean-Philippe Dorent advised Alpha Condé during the presidential elections in Guinea. Once elected, the latter had withdrawn the concession of the container terminal of the port of Conakry, granted since 2008 to Getma, a subsidiary of NCT Necotrans, for a period of 25 years. A market that was awarded immediately, a few days later, to the Bolloré group.
Also, the same Jean-Philippe Dorent assured in part the communication of Faure Gnassingbé, presidential candidate togolaise. And, after his election, in 2010, Bolloré also won the concession container terminal of the port of Lomé for a period of 35 years.
A simple coincidence or smear campaign against the businessman who has become unavoidable in many African ports? The French justice system that has been following these cases for a few years certainly has some concordant elements to try to decide on these potentially explosive files.
According to Le Monde, the French billionaire is in custody at the same time as Jean-Philippe Dorient and Gilles Alix, the general manager of the Bolloré group.
