French businessman Vincent Bollore is under formal investigation over his company’s Africa operations. There are allegations that Groupe Bollore undercharges work for presidential contenders in Guinea and Togo in exchange for seaport contracts.
Guinea’s Justice Minister, Cheick Sako says his country will join forces with French authorities in their investigation.
Two days after Bollore had been interrogated by fraud police in France, the company announced Judge Serge Tournaire’s decision to open the probe.
Through his lawyer Olivier Baratelli, Bollore has denied any wrongdoing. The Groupe Bollore had confirmed instead its African business interests to be under investigation, its communications business Havas Worldwide in Guinea and Togo. The concessions to manage and expand a container terminal at the Guinean capital of Conakry is where the allegations focus.
In 2008, Getman International won the bid for the contract, beating rivals such as Bollore, only to have the agreement canceled by President Alpha Conde when he came into office. Bollore was later handed the contract.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, former Transport Minister Alpha Ibrahima Keira defended the government’s decision to handover the container terminal to Bollore was as a result of a legal tender.
”This had absolutely nothing to do with Havas’ consultancy during 2010 presidential campaign. The president was not involved in the bidding process, which took place before he came to power”.
Neba Benson,
BaretaNews Foreign Correspondent/Analyst
