Ivory Coast: Guillaume Soro's lawyers denounce a "sham trial"
Guillaume Soro, in Paris on September 17, 2020 (illustrative image).
STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
A new trial against Guillaume Soro opens today in Côte d'Ivoire.
This time, the former president of the National Assembly, who was sentenced last year to 20 years in prison for money laundering and concealment of embezzlement of public funds, is being prosecuted, in his absence and with 19 of his relatives, for conspiracy against state security, participation in an armed gang, and illegal possession of weapons.
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With our correspondent in Abidjan,
Pierre Pinto
The case began on December 23, 2019, when Guillaume Soro aboard a private jet preparing to land in Abidjan,
suddenly diverted the aircraft to Ghana
, for fear of being arrested when he got off the plane. Moments later, the police swept over the headquarters of its movement, GPS, and arrested about fifteen people including former minister Alain Lobognon giving a press conference. A few days later, the prosecutor Richard Adou explains: Guillaume Soro and some of his relatives are suspected of fomenting an insurrection.
At the heart of the prosecution's case, there is a seven-minute audio recording unveiled by the prosecutor.
We hear Guillaume Soro discussing with an interlocutor a project of “insurrection”, his support in the army and among the former comzones, or even campaign projects of “
communication to discredit the regime
”.
In addition, according to the prosecutor, weapons seized during the investigation.
"
Magistrates subservient to the government
"
Guillaume Soro's French lawyers reacted yesterday Tuesday.
Emmanuel Daoud, Charles Consigny, Robin Binsard and Affoussy Bamba, herself prosecuted in this case, have published a letter explaining why they refuse to participate in what they consider to be a "
sham trial
".
They denounce "
magistrates subservient to the government
".
They believe that the recording brandished by the prosecutor is, I quote, “
truncated, rigged and resulting from an illicit capture carried out by mercenaries
”.
As for the weapons in question "
they have no link with GPS and a fortiori with Guillaume Soro
".
In short, according to the lawyers of the former rebel leader, “
Ivorian justice has become complicit in a political settling of scores aimed at removing Guillaume Soro and the executives of his movement and of the country's public affairs.
"
► To read also: The trial of Guillaume Soro and 19 relatives opens in Abidjan
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Ivory Coast
Guillaume Soro