The trial of the former Departmental Director of Living Environment for the Atlantique region and a businesswoman, both implicated in a public procurement scandal in Benin, resumed this Tuesday, April 22, 2025, before the Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism (CRIET).
Charged with abuse of office, the former administrative official is accused by the special prosecutor’s office of having, since 2013, facilitated access to public contracts in exchange for commissions ranging between 15% and 25% of contract values. His co-defendant, charged with complicity, allegedly benefited from these practices until tensions arose between them, according to La Nouvelle Tribune.
At the heart of the dispute: an 18-million CFA franc contract. According to the prosecution, after paying the demanded commission, the businesswoman received only a contract worth 7 million CFA francs and felt deceived. Her unsuccessful attempts to seek redress led her to take the matter to court.
During the hearing, the public prosecutor requested a two-year prison sentence and a fine of 10 million CFA francs against the former director, who is currently in pretrial detention. For the businesswoman, he requested a two-year suspended prison sentence along with the same fine.
In a surprising move, the businesswoman declared herself a civil party. Her lawyer, Me Aboubacar Baparapé, argued that his client was the victim of an unpaid loan, having lent nearly 9 million CFA francs to the former director for urgent needs.
The defense contends that only part of the amount was reimbursed, leaving about 6 million CFA francs unpaid, which is now consigned to the Economic and Financial Brigade (BEF).
Meanwhile, the former director’s lawyers, Me Brice Houssou and Me Omer Tchiakpè, are seeking a full acquittal for their client. They argue that since 2019, the management of public procurement in the sector has been exclusively under the authority of the Société des Infrastructures Routières et de l’Aménagement du Territoire (SIRAT), thereby invalidating the accusations.
The Court has scheduled its verdict for May 27, 2025.