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Vincent Bolloré Faces Legal Action Over Alleged Corruption in African Port Deals

Eleven African NGOs accuse the Bolloré Group of money laundering and favoritism in securing port concessions, seeking restitution under France's 'ill-gotten gains' law.

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Le terminal géré par un consortium comprenant notamment le groupe Bolloré dans le port de Kribi, au Cameroun, en 2018.
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Overview

  • A collective of African NGOs, led by Restitution pour l’Afrique (RAF), has filed a complaint with the French National Financial Prosecutor's Office against Vincent Bolloré, his son Cyrille, and the Bolloré Group.
  • The complaint alleges systemic corruption, including favoritism, influence peddling, and illegal practices, in securing port concessions across five African nations: Togo, Guinea, Ghana, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire.
  • The NGOs claim the Bolloré Group retained €60 million in fees owed to Cameroon and caused a $4.1 billion loss to Ghana through a non-competitive port deal in Tema.
  • The 2022 sale of Bolloré Africa Logistics to MSC for €5.7 billion is alleged to have involved laundering profits from illicitly obtained concessions.
  • The plaintiffs aim to leverage France’s 2021 'ill-gotten gains' law to recover and return funds to impacted African countries for developmental projects.