Paris Court Clears Way for Bolloré Africa Ports Trial

French businessman Vincent Bolloré is set to stand trial following a decision by the Paris Court of Appeal, which cleared the way for legal proceedings related to alleged bribery to secure port concessions in Africa. The court’s ruling, made on Thursday, validates the charges against Bolloré, along with Gilles Alix, CEO of Bolloré Logistics, and Jean-Philippe Doron, Africa director of the Bolloré Group’s communications subsidiary Havas. All three individuals face charges of bribing foreign public officials.

Allegations of Bribery in African Port Concessions

The charges stem from an investigation led by magistrates of the national financial prosecutor’s office (PNF) into Bolloré Group’s activities in Togo and Guinea between 2009 and 2010. The core allegation is that the Group secured concessions for the container terminals of Lomé port in Togo and Conakry port in Guinea through corrupt practices. Specifically, the investigation suggests that Havas, the Group’s communications subsidiary, provided discounted communication services to presidential candidates in these countries. In return, once the candidates were elected, the Bolloré Group allegedly received favorable port contracts.

The alleged scheme links communication services provided to Faure Gnassingbé, who was re-elected president of Togo in 2010, and Alpha Condé, elected president of Guinea in 2010. Shortly after Gnassingbé’s re-election, Bolloré obtained the concession for Lomé’s container terminal. Similarly, following Condé’s election, the Group secured the concession for Conakry port, displacing the previous concessionaire, Getma, a subsidiary of Necotrans.

Legal Pathway to Trial Cleared

The decision to proceed to trial follows a previous attempt by the Bolloré Group and the three individuals to settle the case through a guilty plea and a fine. In 2021, the Bolloré Group had agreed to pay a 12-million-euro fine as part of a plea bargain known as a "Convention Judiciaire d’Intérêt Public" (CJIP). Vincent Bolloré, Gilles Alix, and Jean-Philippe Doron also sought to have their cases concluded with a guilty plea and an associated fine.

However, the Paris Court of Appeal rejected this proposed plea bargain in February 2022. The court deemed the 12-million-euro fine insufficient, citing the "seriousness of the alleged facts" and the "considerable profits" purportedly generated through the alleged illicit activities. This rejection effectively paved the way for the current decision to send the individuals to trial, affirming the validity of the charges against them.

Key Points

• 2009: Year mentioned in relation to alleged facts.
• 2010: Year mentioned in relation to alleged facts, Faure Gnassingbé’s re-election, Alpha Condé’s election, and Bolloré obtaining port concessions.
• 2021: Year Bolloré Group agreed to pay a 12-million-euro fine in a plea bargain.
• February 2022: Month and year the Paris Court of Appeal rejected the proposed plea bargain.
• 12-million-euro: The amount of the fine Bolloré Group agreed to pay in a rejected plea bargain.

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