President Alassane Ouattara expressed his discontent with certain ministers and senior officers of the Ivorian army who attempted to hinder the arrest of about ten Lebanese nationals suspected of passport trafficking and fraudulent acquisition of Ivorian nationality.
According to Jeune Afrique, these individuals allegedly tried to assist the arrested persons who are currently in detention. Before his private visit to France on July 22, aboard the Ivorian presidential plane, the Ivoire One, Alassane Ouattara reprimanded some of his collaborators who attempted to defend the cause of the suspects.
It is worth noting that the detainees are influential figures in Ivorian political and economic circles. The Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Sansan Kambilé, reportedly firmly rejected intervention requests from some members of the Ivorian government in this matter.
Certain security forces generals, including those close to him, sought to influence the judges of the penal, financial, and economic division in Abidjan who are in charge of investigating the case, under Alassane Ouattara’s influence. The president made it clear to them that he would not tolerate any involvement or complacency in this delicate case.
As a reminder, on July 23, individuals belonging to Colonel Inza Fofana, also known as Gruman, from the Unit for Fighting Major Crimes (ULCC), conducted searches at the homes of individuals from the Lebanese community. It is reported that the dean of the examining magistrates of the penal division, Georges Agathe Glele Olloe, began questioning the detained persons on the same day.
Furthermore, employees of SNEDAI, the group owned by Adama Bictogo, are also drawing the attention of investigators. Some employees of the company have already been apprehended, and others have been placed under surveillance.
