00:00The ports of Lomé in Togo and Conakry in Guinea were once among the most prized assets of the Bouloré
00:05empire.
00:06But the way the billionaire acquired them has put him in legal trouble.
00:10Prosecutors say Vincent Bouloré used his business empire to trade political support for contracts.
00:15His communications company, Havas, allegedly provided discounted campaign services to Togolese president,
00:22Farnia Singbe, during the 2010 election.
00:24In exchange, his logistics arm obtained valuable control over the port of Lomé.
00:32I am happy because this project has allowed many companies to come in
00:36and also created many jobs during these last three years.
00:40This project will also develop trade between Togo and its neighbours,
00:46which is synonymous with great wealth and employment.
00:51He's accused of doing the same thing in Guinea, financing El Faconde's presidential campaign
00:56and then obtaining a major concession to operate the port of Conakry.
01:00The legal battle over both corruption allegations has been ongoing for years.
01:05By pleading guilty back in 2018, Bouloré and his collaborators hoped to quickly close the case.
01:10The company agreed to pay a 12 million euro settlement,
01:13but judges rejected Bouloré's plea deal, setting the stage for a criminal trial.
01:18French authorities classify the case as possible corruption of foreign public officials,
01:23a serious offence under French law.
01:25Bouloré has since exited the African logistics sector.
01:28In 2022, he sold his entire ports and rail operations to the MSC Group for about 5.7 billion euros.
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