Categories: Global

French tycoon detained over Africa corruption probe

Monitoring Desk

PARIS: French billionaire Vincent Bollore along with other employees of his Bollore Group were detained for questioning in Nanterre, near Paris, on Tuesday as part of an investigation into alleged corruption involving lucrative port deals in Africa.

According to the French newspaper Le Monde, the investigation focuses on port deals made in 2010 in Lome, the capital of the West African nation of Togo, and Conakry in Guinea.

The company is suspected of using communications and advertising subsidiary Havas to support African leaders who then ensured that another subsidiary, Bollore Africa Logistics, would win shipping terminal contracts.

The group denied in a statement ” that its subsidiary company SDV Africa has committed irregularities. The services relating to this invoicing were carried out in full transparency.”

The company’s shares fell more than 4.5 percent in Paris trading after the news came out. The 67-year-old CEO of the Bollore Group, abruptly stepped down as the chairman of media giant Vivendi last week and his son Yannick, 38, was appointed to take over from him as chairman. In 2017, Vivendi bought out communications company Havas — chaired by the younger Bollore — from the Bollore Group. (AA)

The Frontier Post

Recent Posts

Oklahoma tornadoes kill at least one person, injure five

(Reuters): A swarm of tornadoes touched down overnight in Oklahoma, according to local media reports,…

4 mins ago

China’s Climate Envoy to Visit Washington This Week, the State Department Says

(Reuters): The United States will host China's Special Envoy for Climate Change Liu Zhenmin in…

4 mins ago

How the US financial system helps shelter profits from environmental organized crime

Zack Budryk Environmental organized crime is a massive global enterprise, bringing in hundreds of billions…

4 mins ago

France summons Russian ambassador over disinformation campaign

PARIS (AFP): France summoned Russia's ambassador, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday, in a tit-for-tat…

59 mins ago

India’s Modi casts his vote as giant election reaches half-way mark

AHMEDABAD/GUWAHATI (Reuters): Prime Minister Narendra Modi voted early on Tuesday as India held the third…

2 hours ago

’Unlike anything we have studied’: Gaza’s destruction in numbers

PARIS (AFP): As well as killing more than 34,000 people and causing catastrophic levels of…

2 hours ago

This website uses cookies.