LOME, Mar 20 – French billionaire Vincent Bolloré will face trial in December over corruption and embezzlement charges tied to port concessions in Togo and Guinea, marking a major escalation in a case that has run for nearly a decade.
French financial prosecutors allege that Bolloré used his business network, including advertising firm Havas, to support the election campaigns of President Faure Gnassingbé in Togo and former President Alpha Condé in Guinea between 2009 and 2011. In return, authorities say, his group secured favourable port contracts in both countries.
Investigators claim Havas provided campaign advisory services at significantly reduced rates, with a Bolloré Group subsidiary covering about €300,000, roughly 75% of the total cost of services linked to Gnassingbé’s campaign. Prosecutors argue the arrangement may have acted as an indirect inducement in the awarding of port concessions.
The case also includes allegations of embezzlement connected to container terminal operations in Guinea. Two other executives, including former Vivendi board member Gilles Alix and Havas International Consulting head Jean-Philippe Dorent, are listed as co-defendants.
Bolloré has denied the allegations, maintaining that the transactions were standard commercial dealings and not intended to influence political outcomes. His legal team has also raised concerns about the fairness of the proceedings following a failed attempt in 2021 to settle the case through a plea agreement, which was rejected by a French court despite a separate €12 million settlement with prosecutors.
The trial comes as the Bolloré Group continues to expand its footprint across Africa. The group, which previously sold its logistics assets to MSC in 2022, retains significant interests in media through Vivendi and Canal+. In 2025, Canal+ took control of MultiChoice Group, strengthening its position in Africa’s broadcasting market.
