Benin: justice seizes the assets of businessman Sébastien Ajavon
Sebastien Ajavon, during the 2016 presidential election. He was then a candidate and will join Patrice Talon in the second round (illustration).
REUTERS
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Justice proceeded on Friday, July 1 to seize the property of Sébastien Ajavon, in his residence in Cotonou.
The businessman and former presidential candidate of 2016 was sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of nearly 160 million CFA francs for VAT fraud.
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Photos are blurry and out of focus.
Broadcast by local media, we see movers taking away furniture – armchairs, golden tables – as well as a black luxury sedan loaded onto a truck.
Secured by elements of the security forces, in the presence of a bailiff and representatives of Sébastien Ajavon, the seizure of the property was requested by the State of Benin.
“
His wife is in an unnamed sadness,
indicates to RFI the lawyer of Sébastien Ajavon, Me Marc Bensimon
.
He has a fortunately higher vision and supports his family, his children.
They know they cannot return to Benin.
They know that all their belongings have been seized, but to go and get the teaspoons, the kitchen table, the armchairs… It's perfectly unacceptable.
Afterwards, it is unfortunately in line with what my client has been going through since 2017.
”
On March 22, the Supreme Court ordered the seizure of the house of the economic operator who then had one month to sell his property and start paying his fine, which amounts to more than 160 million CFA francs.
Support for the Head of State Patrice Talon during his election in 2016, Sébastien Ajavon, who came third after the first round,
has since lived in exile in France
where he obtained political refugee status.
He considers himself the victim of legal harassment.
An impossible political dialogue with Patrice Talon?
While President Patrice Talon recently renewed ties with former head of state Boni Yayi, Me Marc Bensimon believes that a political dialogue with his client Sebastien Ajavon is, for the time being, impossible:
“
How can we discuss today with a man like Patrice Talon
?
Afterwards I imagine that there are discussions, because in any case, you should never break up.
That said, they are unfortunately going in the wrong direction because they lead to nothing.
»
Beninese authorities, who are behind the legal proceedings, have not commented on the seizure of Sebastien Ajavon's property.
Sentenced to five years in prison for VAT fraud and 20 years in prison for another case of international drug trafficking, the businessman is still wanted.
His name is indeed listed in a file posted on the website of the Beninese Ministry of Justice.
It is reported that an arrest warrant was issued against him on October 18, 2018.
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